Additional Test (Part - 6) - UPSC MCQ

• United Nations Conference On Environment And Development (UNCED) Also known as the Rio Summit, Rio Conference, Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.

• The growing scarcity of water The Earth Summit resulted in the following documents:

1. Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

2. Agenda 21

3. Forest Principles Moreover, two important legally binding agreements 1. Convention on Biological Diversity 2. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

• Agenda 21: Agenda 21 is an action plan of the United Nations (UN) related to sustainable development and was an outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans directly affect the environment. The number 21 refers to an agenda for the 21st century.

• CBD is a Legally binding Convention recognized for the first time, that the conservation of biological diversity is “a common concern of humankind” and is an integral part of the development process. The agreement covers all ecosystems, species, and genetic resources.

• Objectives: The conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding.

Three main goals: The conservation of biodiversity; sustainable use of the components of biodiversity; Sharing the benefits arising from the commercial and other utilization of genetic resources fairly and equitably.

• The Convention on Wetlands [waterfowl convention] is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

• It was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975, and it is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a particular ecosystem.

• Ramsar is not affiliated with the United Nations system of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, but it works very closely with the other MEAs and is a full partner among the “biodiversity-related cluster” of treaties and agreements.

• World Wetlands Day, 2 February every year.

The Montreux Record:

• Adopted by the Conference of the Contracting Parties in Brisbane, 1996, accompanying the Guidelines for Operation of the Montreux Record.

• The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.

• It is the principal tool of the Convention and is maintained as part of the Ramsar List. Indian wetland and the Montreux Record.

• Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan and Loktak Lake, Manipur have been included in Montreux Record in 1990 and 1993 respectively.

• Chilika Lake, Orissa included in Montreux Record in 1993 have been

The Ramsar Convention was signed in 1971. India became a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention in 1981 and has been implementing conservation programmes for wetlands, mangroves and coral reefs.

TRAFFIC: THE WILDLIFE TRADE MONITORING NETWORK

• TRAFFIC is a joint conservation programme of WWF and IUCN.

• It was established in 1976 by the Species Survival Commission of IUCN, principally as a response to the entry into force during the previous year of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

• Since its founding, TRAFFIC has grown to become the world’s largest wildlife trade monitoring programme and a global expert on wildlife trade issues.

• This non-governmental organization undertakes its activities in close collaboration with governments and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat.

CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY SPECIES (also known as CMS or Bonn Convention):

• The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range.

• It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale.

• The Convention has a membership of 117 Parties from Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

• The only global convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes, CMS complements and co-operates with several other international organizations, NGOs and partners in the media as well as in the corporate sector.

• The Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) aims to focus public and political attention and resources on ending the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products.

• Initiated in 2005, CAWT is a unique voluntary public-private coalition of like-minded governments and organizations sharing a common purpose.

• CAWT is leveraging the combined strengths of government and non-governmental partners to

IUCN:

• It was founded in October 1948 as the International Union for the Protection of Nature (or IUPN) following an international conference in Fontainebleau, France.

• The organization changed its name to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 1956 with the acronym IUCN (or UICN) with its headquarters in Gland, Switzerland.

Vision: Just world that values and conserves nature. Missions To influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

• BASEL CONVENTION: The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted on 22 March 1989 by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Basel, Switzerland, in response to a public outcry following the discovery, in the 1980s, in Africa and other parts of the developing world of deposits of toxic wastes imported from abroad.

• Objective: To protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes.

• Principal aims: The reduction of hazardous waste generation and the promotion of environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes, wherever the place of disposal. The restriction of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes except where it is perceived to be following the principles of environmentally sound management.