Environment

Mercury concentrates as highly toxic Methyl Mercury in the bodies of fish.

• The disease was searched in Japan’s seaside town of Minamata.
• Strange behaviour was seen in cats, birds & also in humans. The investigation found that petrochemical companies had been discharging mercury waste into the sea.
• Around 5,000 people were killed & 50,000 were poisoned to some extent by Mercury.

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Humans have controlled the Minamata disease and the use of Mercury to a large extent. But such cases are sporadically noticed in 

• Mercury Mining, mainly in China
• Central Asian nations like Kyrgyzstan 
• In India 
  1. Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu): The thermometer factory was dumping waste (the factory was of Ponds and later acquired by Hindustan Unilever in 1987 ) 
  1. Singrauli Region in Uttar Pradesh 
  2. Ganjam in Odisha 

• Minamata Convention aims to control the use of Mercury.
• The convention was signed in Kumamoto (Japan) in 2013 and ratified by India in 2014.
• Minamata Convention is part of the cluster of agreements, including 
  • Basel Convention to control transboundary movement of hazardous wastes
  • Rotterdam Convention to manage international trade of hazardous chemicals and pesticides
  • Stockholm Convention to restrict and eliminate persistent organic pollutants.

What does India have to do?

• India will have to establish and enforce mercury emission standards for coal-fired power plants(and coal mining).  
• The Chlor-alkali industry has to use mercury-free technologies.
• Replace CFLs with LED.

• It is a deliberate, large-scale intervention carried out in Earth’s natural systems to reverse the impacts of climate change.
• It involves techniques to physically manipulate the global climate to cool the planet.
• These techniques fall primarily under three categories:
  • Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS)
  • Climate Engineering
  • Other Projects (Carbfix Project, Controlling the Emissions of Ruminants, etc.) 

It is the process of removing carbon from the atmosphere & depositing it in a reservoir. 

First Capture CO2  

• Firstly, we need to capture the CO2 directly from the atmosphere or at the end of combustion & industrial processes. 
• It is done using technologies such as
  1. Chemical Solvent: Preferred when dealing with gas streams that are lean in CO2 and have relatively lower pressures, such as flue gas streams from power plants etc. 
  2. Adsorption: Suitable for gas streams with moderate to high pressure and moderate CO2 concentration, such as steam methane reforming (SMR) flue gas.
  3. Cryogenic Separation: Preferred in cases where the cost of power is low.

Transport and then store CO2 in Reservoir (Carbon Sequestration) 

The captured CO2  is then stored in reservoirs, which can include

• Depleted Oil and Gas Reserves 
• Unmineable Coal Seams
• Deep Saline Aquifers 
• Enhancing the productivity of ocean biosystems through fertilization, e.g. algae 
• Inject CO2 into the deep ocean  
• Enhancing and manipulating the forests, wetlands etc.
• Artificial Upwelling: This water will absorb more CO2 
• Ocean fertilization 

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Issues with the Concept

• There is general agreement about the need to halt fossil fuel emissions, particularly in industrialized countries. However, instead of moving ahead with drastic reductions in energy use and initiating a transition towards low-carbon economies, forests’ ability to (temporarily) sink carbon is being used to justify continued fossil fuel use.
• Afforestation – especially afforestation in northern tundra regions – may accelerate global Warming. Dark green forests absorb more sunlight than tundra or farmland, adding to the warming trend (snow reflects).
• All carbon is not the same. Fossil carbon is generally static, whereas that which is in the active carbon pool (the atmosphere and the biosphere) can be easily released through activities beyond government control, such as forest fires).
• Lands dedicated to carbon sink projects require contractual agreements that lock the land up for years, often decades.  
• High Cost: Upfront capital investment for carbon capture technology, transport pipelines, and geological storage is high, and significant energy and water usage is required to capture and compress CO2.
• Insufficient geological information: Due to a lack of geological survey technology, companies lack geological information before the project is carried out. Therefore, they cannot accurately predict project risks.

• Climate engineering describes a diverse and largely hypothetical array of technologies and techniques for intentionally manipulating the global climate to moderate or forestall the (most severe) effects of climate change.
• These include
  1. Space Mirrors: Reflect Solar Energy and not allowing it to enter the atmosphere
  2. Reflective Aerosols in Stratosphere (proponents claim that it can reduce Global Warming by 1 C) 
  3. Cloud Seeding: Clouds are good reflectors of sunlight
  4. Using pale-coloured roofing material or growing high albedo crops
  5. Cirrus cloud manipulation: Cirrus clouds are removed or thinned so that their long-wave trapping capacity is reduced, thus cooling the surface.
  6. Diamond Dust: Spraying the diamond dust in the upper atmosphere as diamond dust is a good reflector of sunlight.

The Climate Change we will talk about in this article pertains to the change in the climate because of human-induced factors.

Even before humans, the Earth’s climate has changed throughout history. In the last 6.5 lakh years, Earth has passed through 7 ice ages. The last ice age ended approx. 7000 years ago, also marking the beginning of human civilization.

But the climate change that we are witnessing now is entirely different. The earlier changes were primarily attributed to minor variations in the Earth’s orbit, which changed the amount of solar insolation received by Earth’s atmosphere or volcanic eruptions.

The reason for the present climate change is the increase in the concentration of heat-trapping gases (or Green House Gases) in the Earth’s atmosphere due to the increase in the rate of burning of fossil fuels.

Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory (Hawaii) has been recording the CO2 concentration since 1958. The concentration reached dangerous levels of 415 ppm in 2019 and 420 ppm in 2023.

Many people, especially from countries like the USA, UK etc., known as Climate Sceptics, don’t accept that Global Warming and Climate Change are real. After fighting for years against denialism, scientists have now been successful in making world leaders realize that we need to act against climate change if we want to avoid the potentially huge cost to the economy and society worldwide caused by the “irreversible build-up of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and warming of the globe.”

• Glaciers have been melting rapidly due to global warming, leading to a phenomenon known as Glacier Retreat. The examples include Hindukush – Karakoram – Himalayan Glacier Retreat and Kaskawulsh Glacier Retreat (Kaskawulsh is Canada’s one of the largest glacier).
• The breakdown of Larsen C Glacier (in the Antarctic) is the result of Climate Change and Global Warming.

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Impact of Glacier Retreat

• Shortage of Water: The glacier retreat can result in a water shortage in the river streams fed by the glaciers. Therefore, it will negatively impact the lives of people living in those river basins.
• River Piracy: Climate Change has resulted in the retreat of one of Canada’s largest glaciers (Kaskawulsh Glacier). It led to an incident called ‘River Piracy’ by the researchers.
  • Earlier (Before Retreat): The glacier was feeding Slims River (taking water to the Bering Sea) 
  • Now (After Retreat): The glacier feeds Alsek River (taking water to the Gulf of Alaska)
• Habitat Loss: Animals that dwell on or near glaciers may be pushed towards extinction—for example, tiny ice worms. 
• Contaminants: Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) such as PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) are transported in the air from their source to cooler areas where they condense and are deposited in glacial ice. Rapid melting has begun to release them back into the environment. For example, in some Canadian lakes, glacial meltwater is the source of 50-97% of the various POPs entering the lake. 
• Flooding: Rapid melting of glaciers can lead to flooding in rivers.  
• Sea Level Rise: Sea-level rise will affect coastal regions worldwide, causing erosion and saltwater intrusion into aquifers and freshwater habitats. 

• Island states such as Tuvalu, Mauritius etc., are on the verge of submergence.
• Kiribati  is on the verge of drowning and will become the first country to drown due to sea level rise due to climate change
• A World Bank report stated that some of these states, including the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu, may lose their status as a nation if sea levels continue to rise at this rate.

• As per the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human-induced climate change has likely increased the frequency and intensity of extreme events since pre-industrial times, including heatwaves, extreme precipitation events, marine heatwaves, etc.
• For example, since 2020, we have seen a large number of extreme events like
  • Heatwave in Canada and parts of the USA. Temperatures in Canada have reached as high as 49.4 °C.
  • Floods in Germany, New South Wales (Australia),  Pakistan (2022) and India (2023).
  • Forest Fires in Canada and Europe (2022, 2023 and 2024) and Bushfires in Australia (2020).

• Global Warming has led to greater frequency & severity of heat waves. In 2003, for example, extreme heat waves caused more than 20,000 deaths in Europe and more than 1,500 deaths in India.
• Malaria is now being reported from countries like Bhutan for the first time.
• Climate Change has increased the spread of infectious diseases, mainly because warmer temperatures allow disease-carrying insects, animals and microbes to survive in areas where they were once blocked by cold weather.
• According to the Lancet Report, Climate Change will lead to undernutrition and obesity.  
  • Undernutrition: Global Warming will lead to lower yields, thus resulting in undernutrition. 
  • Obesity: Climate Change will reduce the production of fruits & vegetables, making them expensive and forcing people to move towards processed food (high in fats, sugars, and sodium).

Climate Change is leading to environmental degradation, food shortages, and unfair distribution of resources, likely leading to tension and conflict. The civil war in Syria has had successive droughts as one of the most important issues.

Climate Change is a security issue because

• Local Resource Competition: Due to Climate Change, pressure on local resources like water is increasing, leading to instability and violent conflict. Transboundary river water issues will become violent due to water shortage.
• Forced Migrations: World Bank Report points toward the fact that by 2050, 140 million people from South Asia & Latin America will be forced to migrate due to climate change.
• Volatile food prices heighten the risk of protest, rioting and civil conflict.
• Sea level rise and coastal degradation will lead to social disruption and disagreement over maritime boundaries (change in EEZ) and ocean resources. 

Keeping this in mind, United Nations Security Council deliberated on the impacts of climate-related disasters on international peace and security.

Women are impacted by climate change disproportionately.

1. Patriarchal norms: Socio-cultural factors like regulations on movement, childcare and elderly care responsibilities, gendered cultural codes of dress etc., limit their mobility and heighten vulnerability and exposure to climate change-related extreme weather events. 
2. Dependence on natural resources: Women increasingly rely on natural resources for their livelihood, which is threatened by climate change. E.g., 75.7% of women in rural India are engaged in agriculture (PLFS, 2019-20).
3. Public measures lack a gender equality perspective: Most policy documents lack explicit provisions for addressing the specific vulnerabilities of women across sectors.
4. Inadequate access to and control over finance and productive resources: It affects women’s contribution to climate efforts and ability to recover from climate-related disasters or loss of livelihood economically. 
5. Lack of gendered data: The scale and scope of women’s burden related to climate change are not well understood due to inadequate data. 

• Global Warming will lead to greater frequency & severity of heat waves and extreme weather events. In 2003, for example, extreme heat waves caused more than 20,000 deaths in Europe and more than 1,500 deaths in India.
• Malaria is now being reported from countries like Bhutan for the first time.
• In 2023, Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) endemic to Africa started to spread in Europe.
• Climate Change increases the spread of infectious diseases, mainly because warmer temperatures allow disease-carrying insects, animals and microbes to survive in areas once blocked by cold weather.
• Climate Change will lead to undernutrition and obesity (Lancet Report) as
  • Global Warming will lead to lower yields. 
  • Global Warming might reduce protein and other micronutrients in plants. 
  • Climate Change will reduce the production of fruits & vegetables, making them expensive and forcing people to move towards processed food, which is high in fats, sugars, and sodium.

• Climate is often described as average weather 
• The classical period is 30 years. 

• Climate Change is the periodic modification of the usual weather of a place. This change could be in the form of a change in the average temperature or precipitation pattern.
• The rate of climate change is dependent on causal factors, which may be gradual or drastic, regional or global.

The causes of Climate Change can be broadly divided into natural and anthropogenic causes as follows

Natural Factors	1. Changing physiology of the Earth 2. Volcanism 3. Changing Carbon Sink
Anthropogenic Factors	1. Green House Gas Emissions 2. Atmospheric Aerosols 3. Changing land-use pattern

• Global Warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere leading to changes in global climate patterns. 
• The primary reason behind global warming is the addition of an excessive amount of Green House Gases by humans since the inception of the Industrial Revolution.

Climate Change resulting from the change in energy entering and leaving the planet’s system can be caused by natural and anthropogenic factors.

Natural Causes

Natural causes include continental drift, volcanoes, ocean currents, the Earth’s tilt, and comets and meteorites.

1. Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics

• Due to plate tectonics, continents keep on changing their position. 
• This drift impacts the climate because it changes the position and features of landmasses, such as a change in the flow of ocean currents and winds, which affects the climate.

2. Milanković Cycle / Variations in the Earth’s Orbit

A Serbian scientist named Milutin Milanković discovered in the 1900s that the way the Earth moves around the Sun isn’t always the same. Over thousands of years, the shape of Earth’s orbit, its tilt, and its wobble all change slowly. These changes happen because of the gravitational pull from the Sun, the Moon, and even other planets. Together, these movements are called Milanković Cycles.

Here’s how they affect the climate:

• Sometimes, the Earth is tilted more or less, which changes how much sunlight different parts of the Earth receive.
• Sometimes, the Earth’s orbit is more round or more oval, which affects how close or far we are from the Sun during different seasons.
• Sometimes, the Earth wobbles like a spinning top, which shifts the timing of seasons.

All these small changes add up over thousands of years and can cause natural shifts in Earth’s climate, like ice ages (glacial periods) or warmer times (interglacial periods).

3. Volcanic Activity

• Volcanic eruptions result in an outburst of Green House Gases (especially Sulphur dioxide) and ash, impacting climatic patterns. 
• For example, massive volcanic eruptions 56 million years ago raised the global temperature by 8° C, and it took around 50,000 years to stabilize the climate.

4. Ocean Currents

On longer time scales, thermohaline circulation plays a crucial role in redistributing heat by extremely slow and deep transportation of the ocean water and redistributing the heat globally.

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Anthropogenic (Human Caused) Factors

1. Green House Gases

• Natural Green House Effect helps make Earth a habitable place by maintaining the average temperature on Earth at around 14°C instead of -19°C without the Green House Effect.
• But human activities can increase the concentration of Green House gases leading to global Warming. 

2. Excessive Deforestation

• Excessive Deforestation has been carried out worldwide as a source of wood and to convert forest land to agricultural land. Dense forests help absorb carbon dioxide and reduce the Green House Effect.

Feedbacks are the processes that can amplify or reduce the effects of forcings.

In other words, due to the warming of the Earth, numerous changes occur in Earth’s atmosphere, which can impact the temperature. These factors are called Feedback impacts. Some of these changes can increase the temperature, while others can cool down the atmospheric temperature.

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1. Feedback from Water Vapour

• Water vapour is one of the most crucial feedback effects. A slight warming of the Earth due to more sunlight or an increased greenhouse effect will increase the quantity of water vapour in the atmosphere. As water vapour is also a greenhouse gas, the extra water vapour will increase the greenhouse effect even more. Thus water vapour has an amplifying effect on global warming. 

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2. Feedback from Snow and Ice-Cover

• The feedback effects from ice and snow-covered surfaces are similar. When the climate is cold, there is a lot of ice and snow on Earth, and the shiny surface reflects back sunlight to make it colder. But warmer climate results in lesser snow which leads to less reflection of solar radiation to outer space and increased warming. 

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3. Feedback from Clouds

• All clouds both cool the Earth by reflecting sunlight into space and warm it up by absorbing heat from the surface.  
• The feedback effect depends upon the type of cloud.
  • Thin Cirrus Clouds (which appear high up in the atmosphere) generally have a warming effect. 
  • On the other hand, low Cumulus and Stratus clouds have a cooling effect. 

• Carbon footprint measures the total GHG emissions (under Kyoto Protocol) caused directly & indirectly by a person, organization, event or product.
• GHGs under Kyoto Protocol are
  1. Carbon Dioxide 
  2. Methane
  3. Nitrous Oxide
  4. Hydro Fluro Carbon
  5. Per Fluro Carbon
  6. Sulphur Hexaoxide 
• Carbon Footprint is expressed as tons of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e). tCO2e is calculated by multiplying the emissions of each of 6 GHGs by their 100-year Global warming potential.

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How can I reduce my Carbon Footprint?

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Global Warming Potential

Global Warming Potential for a gas is the measure of the total energy that a gas absorbs over a particular period, usually 100 years, compared to Carbon Dioxide. 

Gas	GWP	Lifetime years
CO2	1	50-200
CH4	21	12
Nitrous oxide	310	120
HFCs	140-12000	1-270
PFCs	6500-9200	800-50,000
SF6	23,900	3200

Ecological Footprint

• It is the measure of human demand on the Earth’s ecosystem. The ecological footprint represents the impact that an entity (nation/town/individual) made on Earth that year by consuming Earth’s resources.  
• Global Hectare is the average productive land and water an individual requires to produce all the resources it consumes. In 2007, it was 2.7 Hectares /Person.

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Water Footprint

It is the volume of freshwater used to produce goods and services by an individual or community.

It is of the following types

Blue WFP	Blue Water Footprint is the volume of freshwater evaporated from global blue water resources, such as rivers, ponds, lakes, wells, etc.,  for producing goods and services used by an individual or community.
Green WFP	Green Water Footprint is the volume of freshwater evaporated from global green water resources such as moist lands, wetlands, farms, soil etc.,  for producing goods and services used by an individual or community.
Grey WFP	Grey Water Footprint is the volume of fresh water polluted for producing goods and services used by an individual or community.

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Ecological Debt

Ecological Debt can be defined as the amount by which the consumption of resources from within an ecosystem exceeds the ecosystem’s regenerative capacity.

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Ecological Debt Day/Earth Overshoot Day

• Ecological Debt Day or Earth Overshoot Day refers to the calendar date when the total resources consumed by humanity will exceed the capacity for Earth to generate those resources that year. 
• It is not a fixed date but keeps on changing each year. WWF and Global Footprint Network decide it.

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Side Topic: Earth Day

• It is celebrated on 22 April (every year) to increase awareness of environmental safety among ordinary people. 
• UNESCO organizes it.

Marine Pollution is the spread of chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural & residential wastes, and noise or invasive organisms in the marine environment. 

• Bioaccumulation of toxins in zooplanktons & phytoplanktons 
• Eutrophication
• Ocean acidification 
• Coral bleaching

• Oil Spills: From ships carrying oil or from accidents in the deep ocean oil extraction facilities. 
• Eutrophication: It results due to the fertilizer runoff from the farms. Eutrophication has created dead zones in several parts of the world, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Baltic Sea. 
• Disposal of sewage and solid garbage
• Spread of invasive organisms: Invasive species multiply rapidly due to the absence of natural predators and damage the original ecosystem. E.g. zebra mussel in Great Lakes from the Black Sea in 1988. 
• Increasing levels of atmospheric CO2 make the oceans more acidic, affecting calcifying organisms.

• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS): The convention acts as an effective international law regarding seas and oceans. 
• London Convention: To prevent deliberate Marine Pollution by dumping wastes (India is not a member of the London Convention). 
• International Maritime Organisation  (a UN specialized agency) has developed a number of legal frameworks related to the marine environment.
• Bunker Convention for effective compensation for damage caused by oil spills
• Ballast Water Management Convention

• Charcoal & Wood Burning lead to an increase in the concentration of VOCs and PM 2.5 & 10. According to the Economic Survey of India, there is a lack of access to better forms of energy. 51% of households still use firewood for cooking.

• Poorly Ventilated Dwellings (especially in slums) 
• Asbestos released from the construction material
• Tobacco Smoking within the household. 
• Biological Pollution which includes pollen from plants, hair from pets, fungi etc.

1. Health Impacts

• It results in acute and chronic respiratory conditions, lung cancer and cataract. 
• It results in Sick Building Syndrome (a situation in which the occupants experience acute health issues due to time spent in the building).

2. Gender issues

• Women are disproportionately impacted because they work on chulhas.

3. Children

• The impact on children is more because their coping capacity is low.

The government is running 3 schemes for wildlife protection

• Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH)
• Project Tiger
• Project Elephant

About Tiger

• Tiger has eight subspecies in total, and three have been extinct of these. Of the five remaining subspecies, only one subspecies is found in India, i.e. Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris). 
• 70% of the total tiger population in the world is found in India.
• Tiger is the national animal of both India & Bangladesh
• Status of Tiger
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered 
  • Wildlife protection Act: Schedule 1 (maximum protection)
  • CITES: Appendix 1 

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Project Tiger

1900	20,000 to 40,000 tigers were present in India
1972	The number of tigers reduced to 1800.
1973	The government started Project Tiger to combat this alarming situation

About Project Tiger

• Project Tiger is run as Core Scheme, i.e. union and state governments share expenses in the 60:40 ratio.  
• It is administered by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

National Tiger Conservation Authority of India (NTCA)

• It is a statutory body constituted under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act.
• Minister of Environment and Forests heads NTCA.

Procedure to make Tiger Reserve

• The state government can notify any area as Tiger Reserve on the recommendation of NTCA.

Objective of Project Tiger

• Ensuring the maintenance of a viable Tiger population in India for scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological value

Parts of Tiger Reserves

Core Area	– No human activity is allowed except anything that affects the rights of the scheduled tribes and forest dwellers.
Buffer Area	– Limited non-commercial activity such as development is allowed. – There is a co-existence of man and wildlife Gram Sabha is consulted in the management of buffer areas.

Alteration in boundary

• No alteration can be made except on the recommendation of NTCA and approval of the National Board for Wildlife.

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Recent initiatives

• Strengthening of anti-poaching activities by the deployment of anti-poaching squads involving ex-army personnel/home guards
• Reintroduction of tigers has been done at Sariska (Rajasthan), Panna (MP), Satkosia (MP) and Rajaji Tiger Reserve (Uttarakhand) tiger reserves.

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Problems with project tiger

1. Funds

• Funds received by a majority of tiger reserves are usually inadequate & delayed.

2. Staff

• Forest Guards are usually trained only once during the course of their employment. Proper training is also lacking. 

3. Infrastructure

• Roads, wireless equipment, jeeps, arms and ammunition and other  anti-poaching equipment are lacking.

4. Constitutional angle

• Forests and Wildlife are placed under the concurrent list in the Indian Constitution. Hence, the Central Government has limited powers over the execution of Project Tiger. Thus, while the guideline issued by the Central Government may be sound, their translation into ground realities depends totally on the State Government’s commitment.  

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Tiger Reserves in India

Tiger Habitats in India can be divided into 5 divisions i.e.

1. Shivalik Gangetic Plains
2. Central India and the Eastern Ghats
3. Western Ghats
4. Sunderbans
5. North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains

There are 52 Tiger Reserves in 17 States. The important ones are listed below

Corbett	Uttarakhand
Dudhwa	UP
Valmiki	Bihar
Ranthambore	Rajasthan
Sariska	Rajasthan
Kanha	MP
Bandhavgarh	MP
Panna	MP
Pench	MP
Guru Ghasidas	Chhattisgarh
Pench	Maharashtra
Bandipur	Karnataka
Nagarhole	Karnataka
Periyar	Kerala
Anamalai	Tamil Nadu
Mudumalai	Tamil Nadu
Simplipal	Odisha
Sunderbans	West Bengal
Buxa	West Bengal
Kaziranga	Assam
Manas	Assam
Namdapha	Arunachal Pradesh

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Reasons for decrease in tiger population

1. Habitat loss

• Because of Deforestation, the size of tiger prey (deer, sambar etc.) has declined.  
• Forest fires and floods are leading to habitat loss.

2. Disturbance in Tiger breeding/ reproduction

• Highways, noise pollution, tourism etc., disrupt the tiger breeding, thus impacting their population. 

3. Area constraint/fragmentation of area

• Tiger is a territorial animal which advertises its presence in an area through urine marking and maintains a territory. Hence, 80-100 tigers need a protected and undisturbed area of 1000 sq km. In its absence, male tigers would fight and kill each other. Due to the construction of highways and farming activities, the habitats are getting fragmented. 

4. Insurgency in North East and Naxals in Central India

• The Forest departments cannot efficiently work and protect tigers. 
• Using illegal trade in these to fund their operations 

5. Black market of tiger bones and organs

• China has a big market for tiger bones and organs where these organs are used for enhancing male virality.

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Why do we need to protect tigers?

• Tiger is an “umbrella species“. It resides at the top of the forest food chain. A healthy tiger population indicates that the other ecological components in its habitat are equally robust since tigers need a large amount of prey and good habitat. 
• If the Umbrella species are protected, it will also ensure viable populations of other wild animals (co-predators like leopards and prey like dears) and the habitat (trees, shrubs, water).  

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Transfer Projects

1. Lion to Tiger Territory

• There is a proposal to shift lion from Gujarat to Kuno-Palpur National Park, MP
• Reason: All Lion population in Gujarat which makes them vulnerable.
• Problem: Gujarat government considers it PRIDE OF THE STATE & refusing to share it with MP.

2. Interstate Tiger Cub transfer

• From  Bandhavgarh and Kanha in MP to Satkosia in Odisha.  
• Tigers were transferred in 2018. But this led to massive protests by the locals as they were not consulted in the whole process. One of the tigers started to raid human habitations leading to Man-Animal conflict. Hence, the project was shelved, and Tiger was transferred back to MP.

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Tiger census-2018

Tiger census is the all India tiger estimation exercise happening since 2006. The Tiger Census is carried out after a gap of every three years by NTCA.

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M – STRiPES

• M-STRiPES, or Monitoring System for Tiger Intensive Protection & Ecological Status, is software developed by the Wildlife Institute of India.
• It is a software-based Monitoring system for tigers.
• It uses e-Eye system using thermal cameras. 
• The Indian government launched it in 2010.
• The Tiger Census is also conducted using M-STRiPES.

Scientific Name	Elephas Maximus
IUCN status	Endangered
Population	25,000 in India
Heritage Animal	The elephant was declared National Heritage Animal in 2010

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Project Elephant

• Project Elephant was launched in 1992 as a centrally Sponsored Scheme

Objectives

• Protect elephants, their habitat and corridors
• To address the issue of man-animal conflict
• Ensure the welfare of the domesticated elephants 
• Strengthening of protection from the poachers and unnatural causes of death
• Public education and awareness
• Providing Veterinary care

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Elephant Reserves

There are a total of 30 elephant reserves in India.

Important ones are

Singhbhum	Jharkhand
Mayurbhanj	Odisha
Sambhalpur	Odisha
Kameng	Arunachal
Singhpan	Nagaland
Kaziranga	Assam
Wayanad	Kerala
Periyar	Kerala
Anaimalai	Tamil Nadu

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Elephant Corridors

• Elephant Corridors are narrow land for the passage of elephants from one habitat to another. 
• There are 183 identified Elephant Corridors in India.

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Reasons for decrease in population

• Poaching for elephant ivory 
• Disruption of habitat
• Man animal conflict 
• Mining activities in central India
• Train hits 

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Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Program

• It was established in 2003 by CITES.
• It is an international collaboration that tracks trends in information related to the illegal killing of elephants across Africa and Asia to monitor the effectiveness of field conservation efforts.

• It was launched by Environment Ministry in 2018. 
• The aim is to protect and conserve the world’s last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion. 
• It is funded under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat (IDWH), with the contributing ratio being 60:40 of Central and State governments. 

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About Asiatic Loin

• Asiatic Lion, Panthera Leo Persica is listed in 
  • Schedule 1 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 
  • Appendix-I of CITES
  • Endangered category under IUCN Red List
• Asiatic Lions are found only in the 5 protected areas of Gujarat, the most famous of which is Gir. 

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Lion Transfer

• Lion is only found in Gujarat, which makes it vulnerable to extinction in case of any disease or unwanted accident. Hence, the proposal is to transfer some lions to Kuno-Palpur National Park, Madhya Pradesh. 

• There are around 7400 snow leopards globally, and ~10% of them are present in India (750 in India ).
• The snow leopard is the apex predator on the ecological pyramid. Hence, it plays an important role in sustaining the ecosystem in its habitat.
• Snow Leopard is listed in 
  • Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 
  • Vulnerable category under IUCN Red List
• It is found in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal and Sikkim.
• In 2021, the newly created Union Territory of Ladakh declared it to be the state animal.

• India is home to 9 out of 23 species of vultures. These include
  1. White-rumped vulture (WRV)
  2. Long-billed vulture (LBV)
  3. Read-headed or king vulture
  4. Egyptian vulture (EV)
  5. Eurasian griffon (EG)
  6. Himalayan griffon (HG)
  7. Cinereous vulture (CV)
  8. Slender-billed vulture (SBV)
  9. Bearded vulture(BV).
• Of these, 3 are Critically Endangered 
  1. White Backed Vulture 
  2. Slender Billed Vulture 
  3. Long-Billed Vulture 

• Other points about Vultures
  • Vultures nest on tall trees and rocky cliffs. 
  • They are slow breeders. Hence, the survival of every individual is essential.
  • They have excellent eyesight and smelling sense and can detect the presence of dead animals from great distances. 
  • They don’t hunt and rely on other carnivores for carcasses. But they have strong bills and necks adapted to tear flesh from carcasses. Further, vultures have acidic stomachs, which help them to digest rotting carcasses. 

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Causes of their deaths

• Bioaccumulation of Diclofenac leads to kidney failure in vultures culminating in their death.

Other minor reasons

• Hunting and trading because of myths about the medicinal power of vultures.
• Habitat destruction due to rapid urbanization. 
• Electrocution in the areas with lesser trees.

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Program for Protection

• The use of Diclofenac has been banned in India.
• Vulture has been brought under Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat (IDWH)
• Vulture Safe Zones : 3 such zones have been created – from Uttarakhand to Nepal, Assam to Arunachal and Central India
• Vulture Breeding Facilities: Breeding facilities have been created in Guwahati, Pinjore and Buxa (WB)
• Ramadevarabetta Vulture Sanctuary: It is India’s only vulture sanctuary in Karnataka
• ‘Vulture Restaurants/Cafeteria’: These are elevated spots located strategically, for example, in Punjab and Maharashtra, where dead animals are kept for vultures to feed. 

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Consequences of these disappearances

• The disappearance of vultures has allowed other species, such as rats and wild dogs, to take their place. These new scavengers, however, are not as efficient as vultures. Vulture’s metabolism is a true “dead end” for pathogens, but dogs and rats become carriers of the pathogens. Thus, they are directly or indirectly responsible for thousands of human deaths. 

• Hangul or Kashmiri Stag is a CRITICALLY ENDANGERED species under IUCN Red List. 
• There were only 160 mature individuals of Hangul in 2008 
• Project Hangul was started in 1975 by the J&K government, IUCN and WWF. Presently under IDWH
• It is also the state animal of J&K. 
• The main population is in Dachigam National Park, Srinagar.

• In 2010, Government declared Gangetic Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal.  
• It is listed in the
  • Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act  
  • Endangered on IUCN Red List.
• It is found in parts of the Ganga Brahmaputra river system. More than 50% of Gangetic Dolphin are found in Bihar. 
• The Gangetic Dolphin symbolizes the purity of Ganga as it can survive only in freshwater.
• It is also known as Susu or Sushak, or Souns because of its noise. 

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Side Topic: River Dolphins

• There are a total of 4 freshwater dolphins in the world i.e. 
  1. Baiji or Yangtze Dolphin (China)
  2. Boto or Amazon Dolphin 
  3. Bhulan or Indus Dolphin
  4. Susu or Gangetic Dolphin.

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Main reasons for population decline

1. Poaching for oil 
2. Habitat degradation due to declining flow 
3. Heavy siltation 
4. Sand mining 
5. The construction of barrages causes population fragmentation due to physical barriers 
6. Increasing traffic due to the declaration of Ganga as National Waterways

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Steps taken for preservation of Gangetic Dolphin

• Project Dolphin 
  • Ministry of Environment announced it in 2020 on the lines of ‘Project Tiger’.
  • It involves the conservation of dolphins through the use of modern technology and engages local fishing communities in the conservation process.
• National Dolphin Research Centre has been established at Patna University.
• Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary has been established in Bihar.

• Indus Dolphin are endangered, freshwater, and functionally blind species of dolphins relying on echolocation for navigation, communication and hunting prey.
• India has a population of around 30 Indus Dolphins in the Beas River. The rest of the population is found in the Indus river in Pakistan. 
• Punjab declared it as its state aquatic animal in 2019.
• In 2021, the Punjab government, along with WWF-India, conducted the first organized census on the population of Indus Dolphin. 

• Nilgiri Tahr is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.
• It is listed in 
  • Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act  
  • Endangered on IUCN Red List
• It is endemic to the narrow belt of the higher elevation of Shola Forest in the Western Ghats.