Classroom Study Material

(April 2025 to November 2025)

 ENVIRONMENT
Table of Contents
1.6.1. Convention on International Trade in
1. BIODIVERSITY______________________ 5 Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
1.1. Wildlife and Conservation ___________ 5 _______________________________________ 34
1.1.1. IUCN World Conservation Congress _____ 5 1.6.2. International Union for the Protection of New
1.1.2. UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Varieties of Plants (UPOV) _________________ 34
Reserves (WNBR) _________________________ 8 1.6.3. IBAT Alliance _______________________ 35
1.1.3. Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972 ____ 9 1.6.4. National Green Tribunal (NGT) ________ 35
1.1.4. Biological Diversity (Access and Benefit 1.7. Related Reports/Indices in News______ 36
Sharing) Regulation 2025 __________________ 9
1.1.5. CSS-Integrated Development of Wildlife 2. CLIMATE CHANGE __________________ 37
Habitats Scheme (CSS-IDWH) ______________ 11
1.1.6. Project Cheetah ____________________ 12
2.1. UNFCCC COP30 ____________________ 37
1.1.7. Tiger Reserves _____________________ 13 2.1.1. Other Important Outcomes of COP30 ___ 40
2.1.2. Other Important Initiatives at COP30 ___ 41
1.1.8. International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) ___ 13
1.1.9. Status of Small Cats in Tiger Landscape of India 2.2. Climate Mitigation and Adaptation ____ 42
Report ________________________________ 14 2.2.1. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
1.1.10. Status of Elephants in India _________ 15 _______________________________________ 42
1.1.11. 50 years of Crocodile Conservation Project 2.2.2. Greenhouse Gases Emission Intensity (GEI)
______________________________________ 16 Target Rules, 2025 _______________________ 43
1.1.12. River Dolphins ____________________ 18 2.2.3. Green Credit Program _______________ 44
1.1.13. Vultures _________________________ 19 2.2.4. Article 6 of Paris Climate Agreement ____ 45
1.1.14. Draft Policy Paper on Camels ________ 19 2.2.5. Montreal Protocol __________________ 46
1.1.15. Wild Yak _________________________ 20 2.2.6. Net Zero Framework for Global Shipping 47
1.1.16. Tamil Nadu’s Endangered Species’ 2.2.7. Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) ___ 48
Conservation ___________________________ 21 2.2.8. Methane emissions _________________ 49
1.2. Forests __________________________ 21 2.2.9. Glacier Preservation _________________ 49
1.2.1. Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) 2.3. Other Important News ______________ 50
Amendment Rules, 2025 __________________ 21
1.2.2. National Mission for a Green India _____ 22 2.4. Terms/Concepts in News ____________ 51
1.2.3. Environmental Accounting on Forest 202523 2.4.1. Climate Tipping Point ________________ 51
2.4.2. Arctic Amplification _________________ 51
1.3. Wetlands, Coastland and Oceans _____ 24 2.4.3. Planetary Boundaries ________________ 52
1.3.1. UN ‘High Seas’ Treaty _______________ 24
1.3.2. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands ______ 25 2.5. Organizations in News ______________ 53
1.3.3. Other Wetlands in News _____________ 28 2.5.1. United Nations Environment Programme
1.3.4. Coral Bleaching ____________________ 28 (UNEP) _________________________________ 53
1.3.5. Sustainable Aquaculture in Mangrove 2.5.2. Global Environment Facility ___________ 54
Ecosystems (SAIME) _____________________ 29 2.5.3. World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)55

1.4. Other Important News _____________ 30 2.6. Related Reports/Indices in News______ 55

1.5. Terms/Concepts in News ___________ 32 3. POLLUTION _______________________ 57

1.5.1. Conservation Reserve _______________ 32
3.1. International Conventions/Treaties ___ 57
1.5.2. Global Ocean Darkening _____________ 32
3.1.1. 2025 Conferences of Parties to BASEL,
1.5.3. Environmental DNA_________________ 32
Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions ______ 57
1.5.4. Blue Washing ______________________ 33
3.1.2. Minamata Convention _______________ 58
1.5.5. Functional De-extinction _____________ 33
3.1.3. Global Plastic Pollution Treaty _________ 58
1.5.6. Ungulates_________________________ 33
3.2. Air Pollution ______________________ 60
1.6. Organizations in News _____________ 34
3.2.1. Urban Air Pollution __________________ 60
3.2.2. Swachh Vayu Sarveshan Award 2025 ___ 61

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 3.2.3. Aerosol___________________________ 62 4.5.2. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) _ 85
4.5.3. Great Nicobar Island Project (GNIP) ____ 86
3.3. Water Pollution/Conservation _______ 62 4.5.4. Dam Safety in India __________________ 86
3.3.1. Polluted River Stretch _______________ 62 4.5.5. Seed Management __________________ 87
3.3.2. Desalination Technologies ___________ 64 4.5.6. Sand Mining _______________________ 89
3.4. Miscallaneous ____________________ 64 4.6. Other Important News ______________ 89
3.4.1. Revised Classification of Industries ____ 64
3.4.2. New Rules for Contaminated Site 4.7. Terms/Concepts in news ____________ 91
Management ___________________________ 65 4.7.1. Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) and
3.4.3. Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management Renewable Consumption Obligation (RCO) ____ 91
and Transboundary Movement) Amendment Rules, 4.7.2. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) ________ 91
2025 __________________________________ 66 4.7.3. Green Municipal Bonds (GMB) ________ 91
4.7.4. Gas Hydrates _______________________ 92
3.5. Other Important News _____________ 66
4.8. Organizations in News ______________ 92
3.6. Terms/Concepts in News ___________ 67 4.8.1. International Energy Agency __________ 92
3.6.1. Ground-level Ozone (GLO) ___________ 67
4.8.2. International Crops Research Institute for the
3.6.2. Secondary Pollutants _______________ 68
Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) ________________ 93
3.6.3. Toxic Heavy Metals _________________ 68 4.8.3. Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) _ 93
3.6.4. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)68
3.6.5. Green Firecrackers _________________ 69 4.9. Related Reports/Indices in News______ 93
3.6.6. Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) ______ 69
3.6.7. Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) ____________ 69 5. DISASTER MANAGEMENT ___________ 94
3.6.8. Environmental Flow (E-flow) _________ 69 5.1. International Conference on Disaster
3.7. Related Reports/Indices in News _____ 70 Resilient Infrastructure 2025 ____________ 94

4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ________ 71 5.2. Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Financing 95

4.1. 10 Years of SDGs: India’s Progress ____ 71 5.3. C-FLOOD _________________________ 95

4.1.1. Other Reports related to SDGs ________ 71 5.4. Cloudbursts _______________________ 96
4.2. Financing for Sustainable Development 72 5.5. Glacial Lakes and Glacial Lakes Outburst
4.3. Energy Efficiency and Alternative Floods (GLOFs) ________________________ 96
Fuels/Energy _________________________ 73 5.6. Tsunami__________________________ 97
4.3.1. Renewable Energy Sector ____________ 73
4.3.2. International Solar Alliance (ISA) ______ 73 5.7. Oil Spill __________________________ 97
4.3.3. Solar Panel Efficiency Norms _________ 74
5.8. Other Important News ______________ 98
4.3.4. National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM)75
4.3.5. Biofuels __________________________ 76 5.9. Terms/Concepts in News ____________ 99
4.3.6. National Policy on Geothermal Energy (NPGE, 5.9.1. Twister ___________________________ 99
2025) _________________________________ 79 5.9.2. Grey Rhino Event ___________________ 99
4.3.7. Wind Energy ______________________ 80 5.9.3. Super Typhoon _____________________ 99
4.3.8. Draft Guidelines for Underground Coal 5.9.4. Earthquake Swarm _________________ 100
Gasification (UCG) _______________________ 80 5.9.5. Swell Waves ______________________ 100
4.3.9. ADEETIE Scheme ___________________ 81 5.9.6. Blowout __________________________ 100
4.3.10. Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) 5.9.7. Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) __ 100
Norms ________________________________ 81
5.10. Organisation in News _____________ 100
4.4. Sustainable Agriculture _____________ 82 5.10.1. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information
4.4.1. Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs) ____ 82 Services(INCOIS) ________________________ 100
4.4.2. Globally Important Agricultural Heritage
Systems (GIAHS) ________________________ 83 5.11. Related Reports/Indices in News____ 101
4.4.3. Agroforestry ______________________ 84 6. GEOGRAPHY _____________________ 102
4.5. Miscellaneous ____________________ 85 6.1. Global Geoparks Network (GGN) _____ 102
4.5.1. Environment Audit (EA) Rules, 2025 ___ 85

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 6.2. Polymetallic Sulphides ____________ 102 7. PLACES IN NEWS __________________ 109
6.3. Bharat Forecast System (BFS) _______ 103 7.1. India ___________________________ 109
7.1.1. Geographical Features in News _______ 109
6.4. Long-period average (LPA) _________ 104
7.1.2. Rivers in News_____________________ 110
6.5. True Polar Wander (TPW) __________ 104 7.1.3. Others ___________________________ 111

6.6. Pacific Ring of Fire ________________ 104 7.2. International _____________________ 112
7.2.1. Geographical Features in News _______ 112
6.7. Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation 7.2.2. Rivers/Water Bodies in News _________ 113
(AMOC) ____________________________ 105 7.2.3. Disaster Affected Areas in News ______ 114
6.8. Delamination ____________________ 106 7.2.4. Countries in News __________________ 115

6.9. Terms/Concepts in News __________ 106 8. PROTECTED AREAS IN NEWS ________ 116
6.10. Organizations in News ___________ 108 9. SPECIES IN NEWS _________________ 121
6.10.1. National Centre of Polar and Ocean Research
(NCPOR) ______________________________ 108

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