Tag
#Upsc Environment
Southwest Monsoon Ends with 12% Deficit: IMD
The monsoon season of India in 2026 recorded 759.4 mm of rainfall, which was 12.6% less than the long-period average and the lowest since 2015. The strong El Niño phenomenon was responsible for the shortfall in precipitation. Shortfalls were experienced in the East, Northeast and Southern Peninsular regions.
Tackling Food Loss and Waste: India’s Opportunity
India can cut down on food wastage through improved practices of storing, cold chain logistics, drying, transportation, processing and digitised traceability. Post-harvest studies at national levels serve as a robust evidence base, while a model like the Surat bio-CNG plant offers a glimpse into the possibilities of a circular economy. Closing the consumer-level data gap is crucial to scale up such solutions across India.
India’s First Soil Carbon Payments to Farmers
The first carbon payments scheme from India is called the "Aadi program" which provides ₹2.9 crore to more than 2,500 farmers in Punjab and Haryana states for using regenerative techniques such as direct-seeded rice and reduced tilling. Additional money through verified carbon credits (Verra VM0042) is being generated while saving water and reducing stubble burning.
UN sets pathway to tackle ‘inevitable breach’ of the 1.5°C global warming limit
UNEP states that a breach beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius is inevitable and suggests "overshoot, peak and decline" by making deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide removal. Issues faced: tipping points, uncertainty about carbon dioxide removal, climate justice, and complacency. Path forward: shift from fossil fuels, reduce methane, adapt, and climate finance.
Glaw Lake Becomes Arunachal Pradesh’s First Ramsar Site
Glaw Lake is the first Ramsar Site in Arunachal Pradesh. Glaw Lake is internationally recognised for its ecological significance due to its location in the Eastern Himalayas. It has high biological diversity and is vital in water conservation and adaptation to climate change. This classification encourages scientific management, public involvement, and ecotourism.
Radio-Tagged White-Rumped Vulture Electrocuted in India
The electrocution of a radio-tagged captive-bred White-rumped Vulture in Mudumalai highlights the urgent need to make power infrastructure and habitats safer for the successful recovery of this critically endangered species.