environment

Sand Mining in India, Illegal Mining, Causes and Effect

Sand, a seemingly abundant resource, is the second most consumed natural resource on the planet after fresh water. In India, the demand for sand has surged exponentially in recent years due to rapid urbanization, infrastructure development, and a booming construction...

Ethanol Blending Programmes, Advantages, Issues and Concerns

Context: The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution directed all mills and distilleries not to use sugarcane juice/syrup for making any ethanol “with immediate effect”. What Is Ethanol? Ethanol (chemical formula: C2H5OH) is a type of alcohol produced...

Urban Flooding in India, Causes, Impact, Examples

Context: Cyclone Michaung pummelled Chennai with torrential rains for 16 hours, causing widespread disruption and highlighting the city's vulnerability to such disasters. What Is Urban Flooding? Urban flooding is the inundation of land or property in a built environment, particularly...

Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh, Meaning, Criteria, Importance

Context: Ladakh will soon have South East Asia’s first Night Sky Sanctuary at Hanle. It will be South East Asia’s first Night Sky sanctuary situated within Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. What is Dark Sky Reserve? Definition: A Dark Sky Reserve is...

Climate-Smart Agriculture In India, Definition, Scope, Benefits

Context: Climate-smart agriculture has the potential to assure food security, empower farmers, and protect our delicate ecosystems. What Is Climate Smart Agriculture? According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is a strategy aimed at transforming and...

Emissions Gap Report 2023, Key Highlights, Measures, Challenges

Context: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the 14th Emissions Gap Report 2023 titled “Broken Record – Temperatures hit new highs”. About Emission Gap Report 2023 Emission gap: It is the difference between where greenhouse gas emissions are projected to...

OECD Report on Plastic Pollution, Sources, Types, Causes, Impacts

Context: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released an interim report (titled “Towards Eliminating Plastic Pollution by 2040: A Policy Scenario Analysis”) Key Findings of the OECD Report By 2040, it's expected that the release of microplastics into...

Jal Diwali Campaign – Women for Water, Water for Women, Objectives

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has launched a new initiative called the “Women for Water, Water for Women Campaign” under its flagship scheme - Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), in partnership with the Ministry’s National...

Swachh Diwali Shubh Diwali Campaign 2023, Objectives

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is set to kick off the "Swachh Diwali Subh Diwali Campaign" from November 6th to 12th, 2023, as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0. The campaign's primary goal is to encourage a more...

Supreme Court Bans Firecrackers in India, Green Firecrackers

The Supreme Court has issued a significant clarification in its efforts to combat pollution, extending its 2021 ruling, which permitted the use of only "green firecrackers," to apply not only to the Delhi-NCR region but nationwide. During the hearing, the...