Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon – April 5, 2020

Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is a series of reports on the environment issued periodically by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The sixth edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) provides a clear assessment of the current state of the environment, the challenges that we face and how well we have dealt with them, with due consideration given to gender, indigenous knowledge and cultural dimensions. The assessment lays the foundation for continued socio-environmental assessments across relevant scales, with a thematic as well as an integrated focus, enabling and informing societal transitions and the tracking of Sustainable Development Goal targets and goals as well as previously agreed internationally environmental goals. Using the integrated environmental assessment (IEA) methodology, UNEP has produced five GEO reports thus far, and the first edition of regional assessments which have analyzed environmental state and trends at the global and regional scales, described plausible outlooks for various time frames and formulated policy options.

Ecological succession is a series of progressive changes in the species that make up a community over time. Primary succession occurs when new land is formed or bare rock is exposed, providing a habitat that can be colonized for the first time. What happens to this land during primary succession? First, weathering and other natural forces break down the substrate, rock, enough for the establishment of certain hearty plants and lichens with few soil requirements, known as pioneer species. Algae, fungi, bacteria, lichens colonize on the bare rocks and provide organic materials for further higher level of colonization, while the planktons i.e., phytoplankton’s, zooplanktons provide base at the shallow water for further higher levels of succession in hydro sere.

Drylands are found in tropical and temperate latitudes and account for 41.3% of the global terrestrial area. They can be classified into four types – dry sub-humid, semi-arid, arid and hyper-arid lands – encompassing a variety of ecosystems. The goal of the Global Drylands Initiative is to restore, sustainably manage and protect dryland ecosystems for multiple environmental, economic and social benefits. The Initiative supports countries to adapt ecosystem management policy and practice to the unique conditions of the drylands and to the evolving challenges that the drylands face. Further, as the IUCN Focal Point to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the Global Drylands Initiative leads IUCN’s efforts to influence the global discource on Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management. In this case, the Initiative supports countries to implement their commitments to the Convention by demonstrating good practices on the ground, influencing the science-policy interaction of the Convention itself and working with other stakeholders to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality.

Composed of 686 biosphere reserves in 122 countries, including 20 transboundary sites, the WNBR of the MAB Programme promotes North-South and South-South collaboration and represents a unique tool for international co-operation through sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences, building capacity and promoting best practices. The World Network of Biosphere Reserves of the MAB Programme consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites of excellence. It fosters the harmonious integration of people and nature for sustainable development through participatory dialogue; knowledge sharing; poverty reduction and human well-being improvements; respect for cultural values and society’s ability to cope with change – thus contributing to the Millenium Development Goals. Accordingly, the WNBR is one of the main international tools to develop and implement sustainable development approaches in a wide array of contexts.

Velavadar is situated in the Bhal region of Saurashtra in Gujarat. It is a unique grassland ecosystem and perhaps the only tropical grasslands in India to be deemed a National Park. It is most renowned for its enchanting blackbuck population. The elegant blackbuck is endemic to India and Velavadar is one of its prime home territories. Wolves are the main predators of blackbuck in the park. It is highly recommended for any birdwatcher, with several birds like the Lesser Florican visiting the area. Besides, Velavadar has also earned fame as the world’s largest roosting site of the harrier.