CURRENT AFFAIRS

Wetlands are areas that are permanently or seasonally saturated with water. They include marshes, peatlands, floodplains, swamps, lakes, riverine and coastal areas, as well as saline or freshwater zones and coastal waters up to 6 meters deep. Although wetlands cover only about 6% of the Earth’s surface, they provide habitat for 40% of global biodiversity and are often called the natural “ecological kidneys” of the planet.

Recently, several new wetlands in India have been designated as “Ramsar Sites.” With these additions, India now has a total of 94 Ramsar Sites.

Human–Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is emerging as a major challenge worldwide for biodiversity conservation, human safety, and economic stability. In a biodiversity-rich country like India, where millions of people live near forested areas, incidents of HWC are on the rise.

Corals are crucial marine invertebrates that form coral reefs through colonies of calcium carbonate-secreting polyps. They rely on symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae for nutrition. In recent years, climate change has significantly increased coral bleaching events, severely impacting global marine biodiversity.

India is rapidly emerging as a “biotechnology powerhouse” of the 21st century. At the 2nd Foundation Day of the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC), the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology...

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), in collaboration with the United Nations (UN), has launched a new initiative called the “Integrity Matters Checklist.”

Solid waste management remains one of the major environmental challenges in Indian cities. Most urban local bodies (ULBs) have legacy dumpsites where waste has been accumulating for decades, leading to severe soil, water, and air pollution.

India is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world in terms of biodiversity. Approximately 8% of global biodiversity is found in India, including 7% of mammals, 12% of birds, 6% of amphibians, and around 6% of flowering plants. Rapid population growth, urbanization, and industrialization pose serious threats to wildlife, making wildlife conservation in India increasingly critical.

Ahead of the Leaders Summit (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil, India announced its participation as an observer country in the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF).

Recently, the Karnataka government rejected the Kasturirangan Committee’s report for the environmental conservation of the Western Ghats. The state government argued that the report exaggerated the extent of the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), which could hinder developmental projects. This decision has once again revived the debate between development and environmental conservation.