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Prelims 2020-Important Facts Regarding Environment(Compilation)

 

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

Governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another.

 

 

Supplementary agreement to CBD.

Advance Informed Agreement (AIA) procedure

Applies to the first intentional transboundary movement of an LMO for intentional introduction into the environment of the Party of import.

Supplementary agreement to CBD.

Nagoya Protocol

On Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS).

 

Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing-House (ABS Clearing-House).

 

Supplementary agreement to CBD.

Geneva Protocol

For the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare.

It is a treaty prohibiting the use of chemical and biological weapons in international armed conflict.

 

Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN)

·         It is a global partnership addressing the biodiversity finance challenge in a comprehensive manner.

·         United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in October 2012 launched it.

·         Managed by UNDP in partnership with the European Union and the Governments of Germany and Switzerland.

·         In India, National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) is the implementing body of BIOFIN.

 

Brazzaville Declaration

was signed to promote better management and conservation of peatlands of Cuvette Centrale Region in the Congo Basin. It was jointly signed by Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo and Indonesia.

 

The Bonn Challenge

It is a global effort to bring 150 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030.

·         By the Government of Germany and IUCN.

·         Extended by New York Declaration on Forests.

Related to land restoration projects.

AFR100

The African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative) is a country-led effort to bring 100 million hectares of land in Africa into restoration by 2030.

Related to land restoration projects.

Initiative 20x20

It is a country-led effort to bring 20 million hectares of land in Latin America and the Caribbean into restoration by 2020.

Related to land restoration projects.

 


 

 

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960

·         Animal Welfare Board of India.

 

Wildlife Protection Act,

 1972

·         A network of Marine protected areas (MPAs) was established.

·         Has six Schedules.

·         Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was constituted by amendment to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. (statutory body under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change).

·         National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

·         Central Zoo Authority

Power to alter entries lies with Central Government.

Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986

·         National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) implementation arm of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council)

·         National Ganga Council.

NMCG is not headed by Union Minister of Jal Shakti. It has a two-tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee. Both of the tiers are headed by the Director General (DG), NMCG.

Biological Diversity Act, 2002

The Act was enacted to meet the obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

 

provides for a three-tiered structure - at the
national, state and local levels.

 

The act provides for designating Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS). {State Government in consultation with local bodies may notify areas of biodiversity importance as Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS).}

 

The act provides for no requirement for seeking permission for carrying out research in biological resources if it is carried out in India by Indians.

 

The only situations that would require the permission of the NBA are:

·         when the results of any research which has made use of the country's biodiversity is sought to be commercialized,

·         when the results of the research are shared with a foreigner or foreign institution, and

·         when a foreign institution/individual wants access to the country's biodiversity for undertaking research and

·         when any intellectual property protection is sought on Indian biological resources

 

 

Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006

1. For the first time, the Forest Rights Act recognizes and secures Community Rights or rights over common property resources of the communities in addition to their individual rights.

2. Rights in and over disputed land Rights of settlement.

3. Right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource.

4. Right to intellectual property and traditional knowledge.

5. Right to in situ rehabilitation including alternative land in cases of illegally evicted or displaced from forest.

6. Rights over developmental activities.

 

 

 

Critically endangered – any of these 5 criteria:

·         Populations have declined or will decrease, by greater than 80% over the last 10 years or three
generations.

·          Have a restricted geographical range.

·         Small population size of less than 250 individuals and continuing decline at 25% in 3 years or
one generation.

·         Very small or restricted population of fewer than 50 mature individuals.

·         High probability of extinction in the wild.

 

The following funds are managed by Global Environment Facility (GEF) :

·         Special Climate Change Fund.

·         Least Developed Countries Fund.

·         GEF Trust Fund - Climate Change focal area

Note: Green Climate Fund (GCF) : It was set up by the 194 countries who are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010

 

 

 

National Green Tribunal (NGT) has the power to hear all civil cases relating to environmental issues.

These include the following:
• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974;
• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977;
• The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980;
• The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981;
• The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986;
• The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991;
• The Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

Importantly, the NGT has not been vested with powers to hear any matter relating to the

·         Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and

·         Forest Rights Act 2006 and

·         various laws enacted by States relating to forests, tree preservation
etc.

 

 

Wildlife Conservation Society (WSC):  is a non-governmental body (NGO).

Wildlife Institute of India (WII): Autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.

Wildlife Trust of India (WTI): leading Indian nature conservation organisation, A non-profit organisation.

 

 

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