Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A new Javan rhinoceros calf was sighted in Ujung Kulon National Park on Java Island, Indonesia. This species is the rarest living rhinoceros, found solely in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park. It closely resembles the greater one-horned rhinoceros but has a smaller head and fewer skin folds. Females lack prominent horns, while males possess a single horn. Classified as critically endangered by IUCN and listed in CITES Appendix I, conservation efforts are vital for its survival.

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India is contributing to the ‘Early Warnings for All’ initiative by the United Nations, aiming to establish life-saving early warning systems for hazardous weather, water, or climate events globally by 2027. Collaborating with Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Mauritius, India is aiding in setting up early warning weather systems. These efforts enhance disaster preparedness and response capabilities by providing timely alerts and forecasts for natural disasters like cyclones, floods, and storms.

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Rice vampireweed (Rhamphicarpa fistulosa) impacts over 140,000 farm households annually in Africa, causing $82 million in losses. It’s a predominant and troublesome parasitic weed affecting rice, sorghum, and maize. Though it also affects other cereals, rice suffers the most. Current fertilizers don’t control it. Resistant rice cultivars NERICA-L-40 and -31 offer hope, but further research is needed to mitigate its extensive economic and agricultural damage.

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The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) celebrated its 10-year milestone. Operated under the UNFCCC’s Climate Change Technology Mechanism, it’s hosted by UNEP with UNIDO collaboration and support from 11 expert organizations. CTCN accelerates environmentally sound technology development and transfer for low-carbon, resilient development, at developing countries’ request. It offers tailored solutions, capacity building, and policy advice, driven by countries’ needs, through a global network. CTCN comprises a coordinating center in Copenhagen and a worldwide service delivery network.

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Red colobus monkeys, belonging to genus Procolobus, inhabit African Savanna across West, Central, and East Africa. The Savanna’s diverse habitat offers ample trees and food sources like leaves and fruits. They serve as seed dispersers and prey for predators. Living in social groups, they exhibit striking features with reddish-brown fur. This species plays a vital ecological role in their habitat, vital for maintaining the balance in their ecosystem.

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has instructed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to present an additional report within two weeks on Hindon River pollution, detailing actions against polluting municipal bodies. Hindon, a Yamuna tributary, spans 400 km from Saharanpur to Noida. Urban, agricultural, and industrial waste have rendered it one of the most polluted stretches in the Ganga basin. In 2015, CPCB declared it a ‘dead river,’ unfit for bathing.

Notes:
Venezuela loses all glaciers, with the Humboldt Glacier being the last to vanish. The International Cryosphere Climate Initiative declares it too small to be classified as a glacier. It’s now termed an ice field. While no global standard exists, the US Geological Survey suggests around 10 hectares as a guideline for glacier size.

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Kanwar Lake, once a migratory bird haven, faces survival challenges. Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow lake, also known as Kabartal jheel, resides in Bihar. Formed by the meandering Gandak river, it covers much of northern Bihar’s Indo-Gangetic plains. Vital along the Central Asian Flyway, it hosts 58 migratory waterbirds and over 50 fish species. Threats loom from water management activities like drainage and damming, imperiling its rich biodiversity.

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Wildlife authorities in Himachal Pradesh are conducting surveys to estimate the populations of blue sheep (bharal) and Himalayan ibex using the double-observer technique. Blue sheep, related to goats, inhabit the high Himalayas across several countries and are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. The Himalayan ibex, a subspecies of the Siberian ibex, resides in high-altitude regions and migrates to lower elevations in winter. Both face threats from poaching and livestock competition.

Notes:
A recent mass fish kill devastated the Periyar River in Kerala, causing widespread destruction and outrage. The Periyar River, Kerala’s longest, originates in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu and flows northward, passing through the Periyar National Park into the man-made Periyar Lake. It eventually joins the Vembanad Lake before reaching the Arabian Sea. The river, spanning 244 km, sustains a vast area and is vital for Kerala’s economy, notably with the Idukki Dam, the state’s largest hydroelectric project.