Daily Quiz #71 UPSC Prelims Marathon – January 25, 2020

Explanation: SINGAPORE, March 9, 2016―City leaders from around the world met in Singapore today for the launch of the ‘Global Platform for Sustainable Cities’, or GPSC, which is part of an initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that is expected to mobilize up to $1.5 billion over the next five years for urban sustainability programs in 11 developing countries, including Brazil, Cote D’Ivoire, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Senegal, South Africa, and Vietnam. Coordinated by the World Bank and supported by multilateral development banks, UN organizations, think tanks and various city networks, the GPSC is a knowledge sharing program that will provide access to cutting-edge tools and promote an integrated approach to sustainable urban planning and financing. The GPSC will work with a core group of 23 cities, but will reach many more by sharing of data, experiences, ideas, and solutions to urban challenges and by linking the knowledge to finance that will influence investment flows toward building cities’ long-term urban sustainability.

Explanation: As the world strives to cut greenhouse gas emissions and limit climate change, it is crucial to track progress towards globally agreed climate goals. For a decade, UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report has compared where greenhouse gas emissions are heading against where they need to be, and highlighted the best ways to close the gap. The report presents the latest data on the expected gap in 2030 for the 1.5°C and 2°C temperature targets of the Paris Agreement. It considers different scenarios, from no new climate policies since 2005 to full implementation of all national commitments under the Paris Agreement. For the first time, it looks at how large annual cuts would need to be from 2020 to 2030 to stay on track to meeting the Paris goals.

Explanation: The Mission intervention on Soil Health Management (SHM) will be implemented by INM Division of Department of Agriculture & Cooperation. Soil Health Management (SHM) is one of the most important interventions under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). SHM will aim at promoting location as well as crop specific sustainable soil health management, creating and linking soil fertility maps with macro-micro nutrient management, judicious application of fertilizers and organic farming practices.

Explanation: The Pantone Color Institute™ named Living Coral the Color of the Year for 2019, an effervescent and energizing hue that calls to mind vibrant undersea ecosystems. “One of the biggest trends we are seeing today is the desire to spend time in nature and concerns about the long-term sustainability of our planet, something which is manifesting itself into the color stories proliferating throughout design,” says Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. Coral reefs are a vital part of marine life, supporting over a quarter of all life under the sea, and they are in peril. Adobe Stock is partnering with the Pantone Color Institute and nonprofit organization (and exclusive Adobe Stock contributor) The Ocean Agency on a campaign called Glowing Glowing Gone to raise awareness and support necessary to save coral reefs.

Explanation: The Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) programme strengthens FAO’s longstanding work to address climate change in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors and supports countries participating in the climate change negotiation processes within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The MICCA programme generates technical knowledge, working on the ground and with partners to:
•monitor and assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the mitigation potential in agriculture;
•develop the capacity of stakeholders working on national GHG inventories and farmers using CSA practices;
•carry out life cycle assessments to guide decision making;
•give guidance on climate change mitigation & adaptation options, including for peat lands and organic soils;
•Mainstream gender in CSA; facilitate online communities of practice; and run online learning events.