General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - June 2019

Jun 2019

Dec 15, 2022

Forest Department Launches Project 'Vanikaran' in Kerala

The forest department in association with Noolpuzha grama panchayat launched the 'Vanikaran' (afforestation) project to root out invasive plants, especially Senna spectabilis, and restore natural forests. The project was executed on 30 hectares of forestland under the Sulthan Bathery forest range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad, Kerala where exotic invasive plants, including Senna spectabilis, Eupatorium, Mikania micrantha, and Lantana camara, are posing a serious threat to the local species of trees.

UP to Develop One Wetland in Every District to Promote Eco-tourism

The Uttar Pradesh forest department decided to develop one wetland in every district as an ecotourism site under the 'One District One Wetland' (ODOW) initiative, which is similar to One District One Product (ODOP) scheme of the state government.
Minister of state for environment, forest and climate change (independent charge) Arun Kumar Saxena has asked the officials to prepare a proposal in this regard.
Wetlands should be developed to promote ecotourism in every district. While there are a lot of wetlands and Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in the state, those which lie outside protected areas will be conserved under the ODOW initiative.

Dec 13, 2022

Solent Seascape Project Launched to Restore Marine Habitats

A £5m scheme to restore marine habitats along the Solent over the next five years was announced.
The Solent Seascape Project will cover an area of the major shipping lane spanning about 522 sq km.
It will see 10 organisations work together on four types of habitat - seagrass meadows, oyster reefs, saltmarsh and seabird nesting sites.
They aim to develop a plan to protect and restore at least 30% of the Solent's seascape.
The Solent is recognised as an internationally-important wintering and breeding ground for seabirds.
Habitats have become fragmented and degraded, with mud and sand banks and the seabed under pressure from coastal development.

Dec 12, 2022

Three Himalayan Medicinal Plants Enter IUCN Red List

Three medicinal plant species found in the Himalayas made it to IUCN Red List of Threatened Species following an assessment. Meizotropis pellita was assessed as 'critically endangered', Fritilloria cirrhosa as 'vulnerable', and Dactylorhiza hatagirea as 'endangered'.
Meizotropis pellita, commonly known as Patwa, is a perennial shrub with restricted distribution that is endemic to Uttarakhand. "The species is listed as 'critically endangered' based on its limited area of occupancy (less than 10 sq. km).". The species is threatened by deforestation, habitat fragmentation and forest fires.
Fritillaria cirrhosa (Himalayan fritillary) is a perennial bulbous herb. "It is reasonable to conclude a decline of at least 30% of its population over the assessment period (22 to 26 years). Considering the rate of decline, long generation length, poor germination potential, high trade value, extensive harvesting pressure and illegal trade, the species is listed as 'vulnerable'.
The third listed species, Dactylorhiza hatagirea (Salampanja), is threatened by habitat loss, livestock grazing, deforestation, and climate change. It is extensively used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and other alternative systems of medicine to cure dysentery, gastritis, chronic fever, cough and stomach aches. It is a perennial tuberous species endemic to the Hindu Kush and Himalayan ranges of Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

International Nature Conservation Agency Announces New Green List Sites

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced the addition of another 16 protected areas to its Green List.
The new batch contains 11 protected areas in China, including Qianjiangyuan National Park in the eastern province of Zhejiang and the famous Huangguoshu Scenic Area in southwestern province of Guizhou.
The IUCN Green List honours successful nature conservation worldwide. A protected or conserved area that reaches its standard is certified and recognized as achieving ongoing results for people and nature in a fair and effective way.

Dec 09, 2022

U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, COP 15 Commences in Canada

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, also called as Conference of Parties (COP-15) commenced in Montreal, Canada on 7 December 2022. The two-weeklong conference (7-19 December 2022) was originally scheduled to be held in Kunming, China in October but was shifted to Montreal, Canada due to covid situation in China.
This is the second part of the COP15. The first part was hosted by China on August 18, 2021 virtually and the second part was to be held in a face to face conference but it was shifted from China to Canada. However the host of the COP15 in Montreal is still China.
During COP15, negotiators are expected to finalize and sign a document called the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. One can think of it as the Paris agreement but for biodiversity — a strategy with nearly two dozen measurable targets designed to conserve ecosystems and the benefits they provide, such as food and plant-derived medicines.

Dec 08, 2022

Cryptic New Species of Rhinoceros Snake Identified in China

Scientists described a new species of the snake genus Gonyosoma from Hainan Island, China.
Gonyosoma is a genus of snakes in the family Colubridae (commonly known as colubrids).
The genus is comprised of almost 10 scientifically recognized species endemic to South Asia.
The newly-identified species, named Gonyosoma hainanense, inhabits subtropical rainforests of Hainan Island in the Chinese province of Hainan.
It is the second largest island in China, covering an area of more than 30,000 km2, and harbors many endemic species.

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