Geography and Environmental

Context (DTE): The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published the State of Global Water Resources Report, highlighting that 2023 marked the driest year for global rivers. Contributing Factors Increased Water Demand: The report pointed out that growing agricultural and industrial demand placed added pressure on river systems, worsening the already low …

GS-3: Key Environmental Concerns in the Indian Himalayan Region, Recent Supreme Court Judgments Support Environmental Conservation Efforts, The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is widely recognized as India’s “water tower” and a vital provider of essential ecosystem goods and services. Despite this critical understanding, there remains a significant disconnect between the …

Australian researchers have uncovered the origin of pink garnet sand found on South Australian beaches, tracing it back to ancient mountains in Antarctica. Their findings have shed light on the timing of the Australian tectonic plate’s subduction beneath the Pacific plate and unveiled previously unknown ancient mountains in Antarctica. Pink …

Concept : In the Taiwan region, the Philippine Sea plate is moving northwest towards the Eurasian plate at a velocity of about 7.8 cm per year, which is faster than the motion of the Indian plate. Lying 160 km of the coast of China, Taiwan was formed at a convergent …

TABLE OF CONTENTS News Concept of NDRF Key Features of NDRF   News: Tamil Nadu on Wednesday filed a suit in the Supreme Court accusing the Union government of treating the people of the State in a “step-motherly” fashion by delaying the release of disaster relief funds of nearly ₹38,000 …

Background:  In Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, Project Tiger was first launched on April 1, 1973, with the goal of saving tigers. By adding enabling provisions to the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972 through an amendment known as the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act of 2006, Project Tiger …

A landslide, also known as a landslip, is a rapid downward movement of a mass of rock, earth, or debris on a slope. It’s a type of mass wasting, which refers to any downslope movement of soil and rock under the influence of gravity. Why in NEWS: An IIT-Delhi team …

Urbanisation refers to shifting of population from rural areas to urban areas. Urbanisation Primarily driven by Pull factor. Urbanisation gained pace Particularly after LPG Pull Factors Economic Opportunities Education Health Entertainment Skill Development Job Availability Unsustainability in Urbanisation often lead to various problems in the Society. To tackle this Problem …

Dam means any artificial barrier and its appurtenant structure constructed across rivers or tributaries thereof with a view to impound or divert water which also include barrage, weir and similar water impounding structures. Central Water Commission (CWC) compiles and maintains the nationwide register of Large Dams i.e., the National Register …

TOPICS COVERED: Salient features of world’s physical geography Context: Following heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh, landslides have occurred in the state. About a cloudburst A cloudburst is a localised but intense rainfall activity. While it can also occur in plains, the phenomenon is most common in hilly regions. Not all instances of very heavy rainfall, however, are cloudbursts. …

For India it was the hottest month since 1901, recording the highest monthly average maximum (day) temperature (29. 5 degrees Celsius) in 122 years. The India Meteorological Department on Tuesday signalled bitter days ahead with a forecast of hotter than normal summer in many parts of the country during the …

Cracks first appeared in a few houses in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath town in October 2021. Over a year later, by January 11, 2023, 723 houses in all of the nine wards in the town had developed major or minor cracks on the floors, ceilings and walls. In response, 145 families have …

The Union government has granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to 9 products from across the country, including the Gamosa of Assam; Alibag White Onion from Maharashtra; Ladakh RaktseyKarpo Apricot; and AttappadyAattukombuAvara, among others. Of the 9 GI tags given, five were for products from Kerala, including AttappadyThuvara, an important …

Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on earth, and their role in maintaining marine biodiversity is of no small measure. However, it is well documented that coral systems around the world are bleaching and dying due to climate and chemical changes in the sea water. A team from …

Water level in Mullaperiyar dam was brought down to 140.2 feet from its maximum permissible level of 142 feet by Tamil Nadu Public Works Department officials on Sunday. No official statement was issued to clarify if the water was released from the dam on the advice of the disaster management …

The RBI on Wednesday cited inflation concerns as it raised interest rates for the second time in as many months by 25 basis points, setting its benchmark repo rate at 6.5%. “Uncertainty around domestic inflation needs to be carefully monitored in the coming months,” the central bank said in its …