October 2018 Environment

Sakshi Education

Climate fund approves 1B for projects in poor countries
A UN-backed fund has approved more than 1 billion dollars for 19 new projects to help developing countries tackle climate change.

The South Korea-based Green Climate Fund said, the funding approved at the meeting in Manama includes projects linked to geothermal energy in Indonesia, greener cities in Europe and West Asia, and protection for coastal communities in India.

It is also agreed to start seeking fresh money next year (2019) as its initial capital of about 6.6 billion dollars will soon be used up.

The fund, considered a key vehicle for climate-related development programs, was originally meant to receive over 10 billion dollars from rich countries by 2018.

But US President Donald Trump's decision to withhold 2 billion of the 3 billion dollars pledged by his predecessor Barack Obama, contributed to a shortfall in its projected assets.
Alert sounded in Arunachal Pradesh and bordering districts of Assam for possible flash flood in Brahmaputra
The governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have issued an for a possible flash flood in Brahmaputra river.

This was sounded after China informed India about a landslide blocking a river in Tibet leading to the formation of an artificial lake there.

All possible steps to prevent a major catastrophe are taken.

NDRF teams have been deployed in these districts.

The water level in Brahmaputra, known as Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh is increasing after it overflowed from an artificial lake at the river known as Tsangpo in China.

The artificial lake was formed some time ago after a massive landslide in that area and blocked the flow of river.
World Heritage sites threatened by climate change
A recent study revealed that many World heritage sites in the Mediterranean such as Venice, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Medieval City of Rhodes are under severe threat of coastal erosion and flooding due to rising sea levels within the next 100 years.

It presents a risk index that ranks the sites according to the threat they face from today until the end of the century.

The sites featuring highest on this index in current conditions include Venice and its Lagoon, Ferrara, City of the Renaissance, and its Po Delta and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia.

All these sites are located along the northern Adriatic Sea in Italy where extreme sea levels are the highest because high storm surges coincide with high regional sea-level rises.

The study combines model simulations with world heritage site data to assess the risk of both coastal flooding and erosion due to sea level rise at 49 UNESCO coastal Heritage sites by the end of the century.
UN panel on climate change issues extensive warning on rising global temperatures
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued it’s the most extensive warning on the risks of rising global temperatures.

The panel released their report after three years of research and a week of intense debate between scientists and government officials at a meeting in South Korea.

The report says the world is now completely off track, heading towards increase of 3 degree Celsius.

The report pleads to keep the target of 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial level. And for this, the report suggests that rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society are required.

The report concludes by saying that though the target will be hugely expensive, but the window of opportunity remains open.
India not in favour of reopening some clauses of Paris agreement: Environment Secretary
India is not in favor of reopening some clauses of the Paris agreement on climate change and this has been largely accepted. Environment Secretary CK Mishra said India will not be adversely impacted in the wake of the Trump administration pulling out of the historic climate agreement.

The Paris agreement aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

There has been a talk of reopening of some of the clauses of Paris agreement. The Paris agreement, signed in 2015 also aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change.
ICMR recommends vaccine for lions
The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has confirmed that the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) was responsible for lion deaths in the Gir forest of Gujarat and recommended that the remaining lions be vaccinated to prevent further outbreaks.

21 lions reportedly died between September and October, the Pune-based ICMR-NIV found CDV responsible for the death of 5 Asiatic lions in Gir.

The genetic sequence of the virus was compared to available CDV sequences and it was found to be related to the East African strains.

Background:
- CDV causes a highly contagious and life-threatening disease in dogs. It also affects different wild carnivores viz., wolves, foxes, raccoons, red pandas, ferrets, hyenas, tigers, and lions.
- The prevalence of this virus and its diversity in wildlife of India has not been studied.
- Only a few reports are available regarding the detection of CDV in captive wild carnivores which included tigers and red pandas.
- CDV had wiped out 30% of the total population of lions in Serengeti forest areas in East Africa.
- Considering the threat posed by CDV, ICMR has requested the Government of India to take immediate steps to save the Gir lions, which are heading towards extinction.