Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Udaipur (Rajasthan) are the first Indian cities accredited as wetland cities under the Ramsar Convention. The Ramsar Convention promotes conservation and wise use of wetlands globally across 172 member countries. Accreditation recognizes cities valuing and conserving natural and human-made wetlands. The latest round accredited 31 cities, including these two, bringing the global total to 74 wetland cities. India currently has 85 protected wetlands under the Ramsar treaty.

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Central Zoo Authority (CZA) approved India’s first white tiger breeding centre in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. The centre will be set up in Govindgarh, near Mukundpur’s white tiger safari. The project received in-principle approval in 2011. Rewa is believed to be home to the last wild white tiger. The centre is part of a revised masterplan for Mukundpur’s white tiger safari and zoo. The safari is named after Maharaja Martand Singh Judeo, who found a white tiger in 1951 and started a breeding program.

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Huge sludge, silt, and puja material have recently contaminated the already polluted Hindon River in Ghaziabad. The Hindon is a tributary of the Yamuna and is monsoon-fed river. It originates in the Siwalik Hills of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, at 800 meters above sea level. It flows for 400 km through the industrial belt of Western Uttar Pradesh before merging with the Yamuna in Noida. Its main tributaries are the Kali (West) and Krishni Rivers.

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Mission Amrit Sarovar has rejuvenated or built over 68,000 ponds, helping address water scarcity. It was launched in 2022 under “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.” It aims to develop or rejuvenate 75 Amrit Sarovars in each district, targeting around 50,000 ponds nationwide.

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Researchers from western Maharashtra discovered a new endemic frog species named Minervarya ghatiborealis. It was found in Mahabaleshwar, in the north-western Ghats of Sahyadri, Maharashtra. The name comes from ‘Ghati’ (Sanskrit for western) and ‘Borealis’ (Latin for northern), meaning ‘from the north-western Ghats’. It belongs to the Minervarya genus, commonly known as ‘Cricket frogs’. These frogs have parallel lines on their abdomens and nest near standing water or small springs. Their calls resemble nightingales, and the male’s breeding vocalisation is unique within the genus.

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A green sea turtle carcass was found on Marina beach, Chennai. Green sea turtles are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles and are herbivores, feeding mainly on seagrasses and algae. Their diet gives their fat a greenish color, which is the origin of their name. They are found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, with large populations in Costa Rica and Australia. Green sea turtles migrate long distances and are classified as Endangered by the IUCN.

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The U.S. has withdrawn from the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF), a setback for global climate justice efforts. The fund was created at the 2022 UNFCCC Conference (COP27) in Egypt. LDF provides financial aid to regions facing losses due to climate change, including rising sea levels, extreme weather, and crop failures. Developing nations, especially small island states, sought compensation from richer countries. Around $750 million has been pledged, with the U.S. contributing $17.5 million before withdrawing. The fund is managed by a Governing Board, with the World Bank as an interim trustee for four years.

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The bridge over the Brahmani river near Brahmabarada remains unfinished after eight years, causing inconvenience to over 20 villages in Rasulpur and Jajpur blocks. The Brahmani River, flowing through Odisha, is formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers. It flows through Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, draining a total area of 39,033 sq.km. before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The river is 799 km long, with 541 km in Odisha, and forms part of a large delta with the Mahanadi and Baitarani rivers. The Brahmani delta includes Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, home to estuarine crocodiles.

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Researchers discovered a new freshwater algae species, Sheathia rosemalayensis, in Rosemala, Kollam district, Kerala. It was named after Rosemala, the place where it was found. Sheathia species are extremely rare in India, with only one previously reported from the Himalayas. Sheathia rosemalayensis is documented only in the southern Western Ghats, a unique geographic region. Other species in the Sheathia genus, like S. assamica, S. indonepalensis, and S. dispersa, have wider distributions across Assam, Nepal, Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Hawaiian Archipelago.

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Kasungu National Park is in the news due to legal action by communities along the Malawi-Zambia border against the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). This follows increased human-elephant conflicts after relocating 263 elephants into the park. It is located in central Malawi, about 175 km north of Lilongwe. Kasungu is the second-largest park in the country, covering 2,316 sq km. It was established in 1970. It is controlled by Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW). The park features rivers like Dwangwa, Lingadzi, and Lifupa, which are important for hippo sightings. The area is predominantly inhabited by the Chewa people. 2/2