Environment and Ecology — Environmental Pollution (Part 2)
1. Plastic Overshoot Day Report 2024
Context: The 2024 Plastic Overshoot Day Report was released by Swiss-based research consultancy Earth Action (EA).
- Plastic Overshoot Day: On September 5, 2024, plastic waste is expected to surpass the capacity of waste management systems.
- Based on the country's Mismanaged Waste Index (MWI), which tracks the ratio of mismanaged waste to total waste.
Global Findings
- Global plastic waste has increased by 7.11% since 2021.
- Twelve countries — China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, the U.S., and Turkey — account for 60% of global mismanaged plastic waste.
- Top generators of plastic waste include Belgium and Oman (in terms of mismanaged plastic waste).
Findings Related to India
- India's Plastic Overshoot Day: April 23
- India classified as a "low-waste-producing" nation (8 kg of plastic waste per capita annually).
- Expected to have a high level of mismanaged plastic waste — estimated 7.4 million tons in 2024.
- Waste Sponges: India referred to as "The Waste Sponges" — low consumption but high plastic pollution.
Key Point: India's Plastic Overshoot Day is April 23 — classified as a "low-waste-producing" nation but with high mismanaged plastic waste (7.4 million tons in 2024).
2. Novel Hydrogel for Microplastic Removal
Context: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have designed a sustainable hydrogel to remove microplastics from water.
- Composition: Three polymer layers — chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyaniline — forming an Intertwined Polymer Network (IPN).
- Nanocluster Integration: Incorporates Cu-POM nanoclusters as UV-activated catalysts to degrade microplastics.
- Fluorescent Dye Addition: Tracks microplastics' adsorption and degradation under various conditions.
- Efficiency: Removes 95% and 93% of two types of microplastics in water at near-neutral pH (~6.5).
About Microplastics
- Definition: Tiny plastic particles with an upper size limit of 5 millimeters (mm) in diameter.
- Primary Microplastics: Intentionally manufactured for industrial and domestic use (e.g., microbeads in cosmetics and toothpaste).
- Secondary Microplastics: Formed by weathering and fragmentation of larger plastic objects, enhanced by UV irradiation.
Environmental and Health Impacts
- Marine Life: Toxic/mechanical effects lead to suffocation, reduced food intake, and genetic changes.
- Human Health: Microplastics found in organs, placenta; impact brain development, genetics, and respiration.
Key Conventions:
- MARPOL (1973): International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
- London Convention (1972): Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes; 87 States Parties
- Initiatives: Clean Seas Campaign, New Plastics Economy Global Commitment
3. Bisphenol A (BPA)
Context: A study in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, suggests Bisphenol A can indirectly aid in the spread of vector-borne diseases in humans and animals.
- BPA: Chemical compound widely used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins.
- Production: Produced by the condensation of phenol and acetone.
- Commonly found in water bottles, food storage containers, and canned food linings.
- Health Impacts: Impairs reproduction in aquatic organisms; causes diabetes, high blood pressure in humans.
- Negotiations underway under UNEP to tackle plastic pollution, including the use of BPA in plastic packaging.
4. UNCCD COP16
Context: The sixteenth session, Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the UNCCD took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December 2024.
- Host: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — marked UNCCD's 30th anniversary and its first session in the MENA region.
- Theme: "Our Land. Our Future."
- Report released: "Economics of drought: Investing in nature-based solutions for drought resilience."
Key Highlights of UNCCD Report
- 40% of the world's land is degraded, impacting 3.2 billion people.
- Annual global costs of drought: $307 billion (driven by land mismanagement, deforestation, groundwater overdraft, climate change).
- Human-induced droughts: Increased by 29% since 2000.
- By 2050: 1.5 billion people will be affected by drought.
- Land restoration funding needed: $355 billion per year (2025–2030). Current investments: $66 billion (2022), leaving a $278 billion yearly shortfall.
- Land degradation costs: $878 billion annually.
Key Outcomes of COP16
- Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership: Announced by Saudi Arabia; aims to assist 80 drought-hit countries (LDCs and LMICs). Initial commitment: $2.15 billion (Saudi Arabia, Islamic Development Bank, OPEC Fund).
- World Drought Atlas: Launched by UNCCD; depicts systemic risks of drought across critical sectors.
- International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO): First global AI-powered platform for proactive drought management; launched by IDRA.
- Business4Land initiative: Emphasizes private sector advocacy; currently only 6% of funding comes from the private sector.
About UNCCD:
- Only legally binding framework to address desertification and drought
- One of three conventions from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro
- Established: 1994
- Members: 197 parties (196 + EU)
- India: Signatory in 1994, ratified in 1996
- Secretariat: Bonn, Germany
5. Initiatives Related to Soil Management
Global Soil Partnership (GSP)
- Endorsed at: 145th FAO Council.
- Aim: Promote sustainable soil management (SSM) and improve governance of the world's soil resources.
- Established: 2012 by FAO.
- Calls for urgent action to improve and maintain the health of at least 50% of the world's soils by 2030.
Bonn Challenge
- Launched by: Government of Germany and IUCN in 2011.
- Aim: To bring 150 million hectares into restoration by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.
Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
- Introduced under: UNCCD.
- Aim: Balance land degradation with restoration efforts to achieve a "no net loss" of productive land.
- Advantages: Boosting carbon stores in soils and vegetation; turning land from a source of GHG emissions to a carbon sink.
RECSOIL/IL: Recarbonization of Global Agricultural Soils
- Aim: Scale up sustainable soil management with a focus on increasing soil organic carbon (SOC).
- Collaborative Effort: FAO.
6. Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD) 2030
Context: CGIAR launched the GSRD 2030 at COP16 UNCCD in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Developed by: CGIAR institutes under the leadership of ICARDA and ICRISAT.
- Vision: Roadmap to enhance food security, conserve biodiversity, and build resilient livelihoods for 2.7 billion people inhabiting drylands (Asia and Africa).
- Reframes drylands: Not as areas of scarcity but as hubs of untapped potential for resilience.
Key Innovations under GSRD
- Climate-Smart Agriculture: Drought-resistant crops (barley, lentils, chickpeas, cacti), agroforestry.
- Sustainable Resource Management: Solar-powered agrivoltaics, improved livestock feeding.
- Technology Integration: Solutions for water scarcity, land degradation, and desertification.
About Drylands:
- Definition (UNEP): Lands with an aridity index of less than 0.65.
- Aridity index: Ratio between average annual precipitation and potential evapotranspiration.
7. Aravalli Green Wall Project (AGWP)
Context: At COP16 of the UNCCD, India presented the Aravalli Green Wall Project.
- Launch: 2019 by MoEFCC — large-scale afforestation initiative to restore degraded land in the Aravalli Range.
- Inspiration: Great Green Wall initiative in Africa.
- Geographic Scope: 5 km buffer zone around the Aravalli Hill Range — covers Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi.
- Objectives: Restore 1.15 million hectares of degraded land by 2027; prevent eastward expansion of the Thar Desert.
About Aravalli Range
- Old Fold Mountain Range formed during the Precambrian Era — one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.
- Extent: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and UT of Delhi.
- Highest Point: Guru Shikhar in Rajasthan.
- River System: Yamuna, Luni, Sahibi flow through these hills.
About Great Green Wall:
- Launched by: Global Environment Facility (GEF)
- Scope: 11 countries in Sahel-Saharan Africa
- Objective: Combat land degradation; restore native plant life to degraded landscapes
8. UN World Restoration Flagships
Context: UNEP and FAO named seven initiatives as UN World Restoration Flagships.
- Led by: UNEP and FAO.
- Objective: Restore billions of hectares across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
- Progress monitored through: Future for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring platform.
Seven World Restoration Flagships
- Terai Arc Landscape — Reviving Asia's Mega-Fauna (India)
- Launch: 2001
- Goal: Restore 350,000 hectares of forest by 2030
- Geographic Coverage: Yamuna River (west) to Bhagmati River (east)
- Conservation Focus: Tigers, rhinos, and elephants
- Living Indus — Restoring a Cradle of Civilization
- Launch: COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh
- Goal: Restore 25 million hectares of Indus River basin by 2030
- Living Entity Designation: Indus River designated as a living entity with legal rights
- From Fires to Forests — Resilience in the Med
- Acción Andina — Saving a Global Water and Hotspot
- The Sri-Lanka Mangrove Regeneration Initiative
- The Regreening Africa Initiative
- Growing Forests in Africa's Drylands
About UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration:
- Declaration: UN General Assembly declared 2021–2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
- Led by: UNEP and FAO.
- Objective: Restore billions of hectares of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
9. NABARD's Climate Strategy 2030
Context: NABARD unveiled its Climate Strategy 2030 document on World Earth Day.
- Aim: Address India's need for green financing.
- Released during: 78th Business Plan Meet (BPM) at Thiruvananthapuram.
- Four key pillars: Accelerating Green Lending across various sectors.
- Based on: Recommendations of B. Sivaraman Committee; came into effect in September 2021.
- Headquarters: Mumbai.
10. Summary: Environmental Pollution — Key Concepts at a Glance
| Topic | Key Detail |
|---|---|
| Plastic Overshoot Day | India: April 23; 7.4M tons mismanaged waste |
| Novel Hydrogel | IISc; 95% microplastic removal; near-neutral pH |
| BPA | Polycarbonate plastics; phenol + acetone; health impacts |
| UNCCD COP16 | Riyadh; 40% land degraded; $307B/year drought costs |
| Riyadh Drought Partnership | $2.15B initial commitment; 80 drought-hit countries |
| Global Soil Partnership | FAO (2012); 50% soil health by 2030 |
| Bonn Challenge | Germany + IUCN (2011); 350M ha by 2030 |
| Aravalli Green Wall | 1.15M ha by 2027; 5 km buffer; Thar Desert control |
| Terai Arc Landscape | 350,000 ha by 2030; tigers, rhinos, elephants |
Key Takeaways for UPSC
- Plastic Overshoot Day: India — April 23; 7.4M tons mismanaged waste; "Waste Sponges"
- Novel Hydrogel (IISc): 95% microplastic removal; Cu-POM nanoclusters; near-neutral pH
- UNCCD COP16 (Riyadh): 40% land degraded; $307B/year drought costs; $2.15B Riyadh Partnership
- Global Soil Partnership: FAO (2012); 50% soil health by 2030
- Bonn Challenge: Germany + IUCN (2011); 350M ha by 2030
- Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN): "No net loss" of productive land
- Aravalli Green Wall: 1.15M ha by 2027; 5 km buffer; Thar Desert control
- Terai Arc Landscape: 350,000 ha by 2030; tigers, rhinos, elephants
- Living Indus: COP27; 25M ha by 2030; legal rights for Indus River
- UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: 2021–2030; UNEP + FAO
High-Yield Interactive UPSC Quiz (Environmental Pollution — Part 2)
Q1. India's Plastic Overshoot Day is observed on:
Correct Answer: B. India's Plastic Overshoot Day is April 23. India is classified as a "low-waste-producing" nation but with high mismanaged plastic waste (7.4 million tons in 2024).
Q2. The novel hydrogel developed by IISc removes what percentage of microplastics?
Correct Answer: C. The novel hydrogel removes 95% and 93% of two types of microplastics in water at near-neutral pH (~6.5).
Q3. COP16 of UNCCD was held in which city?
Correct Answer: B. COP16 of UNCCD was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December 2024. It marked UNCCD's 30th anniversary and its first session in the MENA region.
Q4. What percentage of the world's land is degraded according to the UNCCD report?
Correct Answer: C. Currently, 40% of the world's land is degraded, impacting the lives of 3.2 billion people globally.
Q5. The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership has an initial commitment of:
Correct Answer: B. The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership has an initial commitment of $2.15 billion from Saudi Arabia, Islamic Development Bank, and OPEC Fund.
Q6. The Bonn Challenge was launched in which year?
Correct Answer: B. The Bonn Challenge was launched by the Government of Germany and IUCN in 2011, aiming to bring 350 million hectares into restoration by 2030.
Q7. The Aravalli Green Wall Project aims to restore how many hectares of degraded land by 2027?
Correct Answer: B. The Aravalli Green Wall Project aims to restore 1.15 million hectares of degraded land by 2027 and prevent the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert.
Q8. The Global Soil Partnership was established by which organization?
Correct Answer: C. The Global Soil Partnership was established in 2012 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to promote sustainable soil management.
Q9. The Terai Arc Landscape aims to restore how many hectares of forest by 2030?
Correct Answer: C. The Terai Arc Landscape aims to restore 350,000 hectares of forest by 2030, focusing on conserving tigers, rhinos, and elephants.
Q10. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration covers which period?
Correct Answer: B. The UN General Assembly declared 2021–2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, led by UNEP and FAO.