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Summary

Environment July 2023 Part 02 Class

STATUS OF TIGER REPORT:

• Tiger is a keystone species.

• The tiger is a top predator.

• Tiger census- every 4 years since 2006.

• NTCA+ WWI+WWF India+ NGOs+ Forest Department.

• Count of co-predators (leopards, wolf) and pray base too.

• The technique used- Pugmark, M-STrIPES (Monitoring System For Tigers-Intensive Protection
and Ecological Status), Camera trap-based Capture-Mark-Recapture.

• Number of tigers-2967 (last 2018 census), 3682 (new 2022 census).

• 3682 Average number of Tiger.

• State wise Tiger: M.P> Karnatka> Uttarakhand> Maharashtra.

• M.P. recorded a drastic increase in the number.

• Reserve with highest Tiger population-

• Jim Corbet>Bandipur>Nagarhole>Bandhavgarh> Dudhwa.

• 53 Tiger Reserve in India.

• 2.3% of India's total land area.

• India currently harbors almost 75% of the world’s wild tiger population.

• Reserves with no Tiger-Dampa (Mizoram), Kamlang (Arunachal), Kawal, Satkosia, Sahyadri.

• States with lowest Tiger Reserve- Nagaland - Mizoram- Jharkhand and Goa.

MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION (MEE) OF TIGER RESERVES (05:18 PM)

• Release by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body.

• Significance of MEE-

• Enable and support an adaptive approach to management.

• Assist in effective resource allocation.

• Promote accountability and transparency.

• Help involve the community and build constituencies.

• Promote the values of PAs.

• About the 5th cycle of MEE:

 • The Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala has been ranked as the best-maintained tiger reserve in
India.

• 12 tiger reserves ranked in the 'Excellent' category, followed by 21 in the 'Very Good'
category, 13 in the 'Good' category, and 5 in the 'Fair' category.

• The MEE report graded none of the country's tiger reserves as 'Poor’.

• Related News (05:28 PM)

• Centre merged Project Tiger (1973) and Project Elephant (1992).

• After the merger, a new division named ‘Project Tiger and Elephant Division’ (PT&E) was
created under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

• The staff and divisional heads of Project Elephant (PE) will now report to the additional
director general of forests (ADGF), Project Tiger (PT), who has now been designated as ADGF
(PT&E).

• The reason for the merger is to rationalize funding for both conservation projects.

• Significance of the merger o It would help streamline the efforts to conserve both species.

• Makes the administration of the projects efficient and linear.

• Since both species share the same habitat, an integrated approach can benefit both.

• Challenge:

• The inclusion of multiple species under one project may dwindle the actual fund allocation
to the tigers.

• Both the programs required separate units and heads, given the different nature of
challenges in their conservation.

FOREST CONSERVATION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023 (05:40 PM)

• Indian Forest Act, 1927-

• There is no provision for protection of wildlife in the IFA 1927.

• Forest Conservation Act 1980-

• Puts several restrictions on the de-reservation of forests or use of forest land for non-forest
purposes and specifies penalties for contravention of any of its provisions.

• Compensatory afforestation under the FCA 1980.

• Net Present Value of the Forest.

• For which all forest, does this act apply? (no clarity in FCA 1980).

• T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v/s Union of India Case (1996)-

• All areas that conformed to the “dictionary” meaning of forest.

• All areas are recorded as “forest” in any government (Union and State) record, irrespective of
ownership, recognition, and classification.
 • Areas are identified as “forests” by an expert committee constituted by the Supreme Court
following the 1996 order.

• Key Amendments-

• The Act has been given a new name through the amendment– ‘Van (Sanrakshan Evam
Samvardhan) Adhiniyam’ (Forest (Conservation and Augmentation) Act), 1980.

• The addition of the Preamble encompasses India’s Nationality Determined Contribution and
other National targets.

• Recorded Forest Areas.

• Exempted Categories of Land- exempted projects, the extent of exemptions (* refer to

image_page 63).

• Addition of activities into the array of forestry activities- zoo and safari, ecotourism,
silviculture, etc.

• Major provisions- coverage, exemption, nonforest activities.

• Concerns- Placing non-recorded forests out of the purview of the Act, Dilutes Scheduled
Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights Act), 2006,
Compromises Federalism, etc.

GRADED RESPONSE ACTION PLAN (GRAP) (06:52 PM)

• Delhi Air pollution.

• In pursuant to the Supreme Court’s order of 2016 in the matter of M. C. Mehta v/s Union of
India regarding air quality in the National Capital Region of Delhi, a Graded Response Action
Plan was prepared.

• EPCA-EPA 1986-.

• Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

• National Air Quality Index-

• PM 10, PM 2.5, 03, NO2, SO2, CO, NH3, Pb.

Delhi-Air Quality
Stages
Index

Stage01 201-300

Stage 02 301-400

Stage 03 401-450
 Stage 04 450 +

• * Refer to the image on page 65 for respective action, w.r.t_Revised Graded Response Action
Plan.

OTHER MINOR TOPICS (07:12 PM)

• PLASTIC POLLUTION-

• G-20 meeting.

• Plastic Overshoot Day Report- when the country's plastic waste generation outweighed its
waste management capacity.

• July 28th is Plastic Overshoot Day.

• Plastic Overshoot Day for India occurred on January 6.

• Impacts of plastic pollution-Bisphenols and phthalates are released into the air from the
burning of plastics.

• Microplastics entering the marine & human leading to serious ailments.

• Plastic nets entangled with marine life.

• Degradation of the earth's land surfaces due to dangerous chemicals from plastic.

• Challenges in managing plastic-

• Lagging to meet the growing needs.

• Insufficient data and reporting: the products are scattered into diverse sectors.

• Use of Single-Use Plastics which has short lifespan and widespread use.

• Poor implementation of policies: Like Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021.

• Consumer behavior: this is currently aligned with the usage of plastic disposables.

• Initiatives to curb Plastic Pollution- Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021.

• BLUE ECONOMY (07:24 PM)

• It refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihood
and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health (according to the World Bank).

• Significance of Blue Economy to India-

• Estimated Size of the Blue Economy in India: about 4% of GDP.

• Job creation.

• Energy security can be ensured, for example, thorium, deuterium, petroleum and gas, etc.

• Challenges to Achieve Blue Economy-

• Lack of specific organizational framework in India.

• Relating to granting permissions, leasing, evaluating, and monitoring offshore activities.

 • Lack of comprehensive legislation for the Blue Economy.

• Other challenges include Climate Change, overfishing, marine plastic pollution, etc.

• Chennai High-Level Principles.

• RESOURCE EFFICIENCY CIRCULAR ECONOMY INDUSTRY COALITION (RECEIC)-

• The utilization of waste materials generated by one industry as raw materials in another.

• RECEIC was launched at the G20 4th Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group
(ECSWG) meeting.

• Question: Give an analysis of the Forest Conservation (Amendment) (FCA) Bill, 2023. (150
words/10 Marks)

NEXT CLASS TOPIC: Continuation of July Month Environment remaining topics.