Daily Quiz #8 UPSC Prelims Marathon – November 9 , 2019

Explanation: In 1997, Government of India implemented Environment Management Capacity Building (EMCB) programme for a period of five years, funded by the International Development Association through the World Bank. The Department of Ocean Development (DOD) established a Project Directorate i.e., Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management (ICMAM-PD), at Chennai in January,1998 with the approval of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs to implement the EMCB programme. After completion of the World Bank assignment, it was decided by DOD to continue the activities of ICMAM, as a long-term R&D activity with a mandate to promote research addressing issues related to coastal processes, ecosystems, shoreline erosion, pollution, hazards and coastal vulnerability. The projects implemented included preparation of model ICMAM plans, GIS-based information for critical habitats, determination of waste assimilation capacity, development of EIA guidelines, determination of ‘no impact zone’, determination of use classification for coastal waters, shoreline management plans for selected locations, ecosystem modelling for coastal habitats, marine ecotoxicology and storm surge inundation modelling. The activities were long term in nature and continued through subsequent five year plans with expanded scope and wider geographical coverage. In order to provide a long-term organisational framework to continue these research activities, the Project Directorate is designated as the “National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR)” an attached office of MoES. NCCR, is envisaged to develop and improve the country’s capabilities in addressing the challenging problems prevailing in the coastal zone, which have societal, economical and environmental implications. These activities of NCCR would be an integral part of the Ministry’s mission to offer scientific and technical support to coastal communities and stakeholders for integrated and sustainable use of resources towards socio-economic benefit of the society.

Explanation: The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is an international treaty which was adopted and signed in 1982. It replaced the four Geneva Conventions of April, 1958, which respectively concerned the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, the continental shelf, the high seas, fishing and conservation of living resources on the high seas.
The Convention has created three new institutions on the international scene:
– The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea,
– The International Seabed Authority,
– The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

Explanation: Pampas grass, (Cortaderia selloana), tall reedlike grass of the family Poaceae, native to southern South America. Pampas grass is named for the Pampas plains, where it is endemic. It is cultivated as an ornamental in warm parts of the world and is considered an invasive species in some areas outside its native range, including New Zealand, South Africa, and the southwestern United States.

Explanation: The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (also known as the Stockholm Conference) was an international conference convened under United Nations auspices held in Stockholm, Sweden from June 5-16, 1972. It was the UN’s first major conference on international environmental issues, and marked a turning point in the development of international environmental politics.

Explanation: Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. It was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S. and is also widely held to be the first national park in the world. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful geyser, one of its most popular features. It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpine forest is the most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests eco-region.