Geography

Demographic Shift and India

Context: India’s elderly population (those aged 60 and above) is expanding rapidly. In 2023, there are 149 million elderly individuals, making up 10.5% of the total population. By 2050, this figure is projected to reach 347 million, or 20.8% of the population. Challenges of an Ageing Population Increasing Dependency Ratio: …

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Shale Gas in Jharkhand

Context: Recent Findings: A study has revealed promising potential for shale gas generation in the South Karanpura coalfield in Ramgarh district, Jharkhand. The assessment was carried out using Rock-Eval pyrolysis, a technique that evaluates the hydrocarbon content and thermal maturity of sedimentary rocks, primarily for petroleum and shale gas exploration. …

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Non-Inclusion of Heatwaves in Notified Disasters

The ongoing severe heatwave across the country has reignited discussions about officially recognizing heatwaves as disasters under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. How India Manages Disasters Constitutional Context There is no mention of disasters in the Constitution of India. Legislative Framework Disaster Management Act (DMA) 2005: Enacted following the 1999 …

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Medicanes: Mediterranean Hurricanes

Introduction The Mediterranean Sea, known for its idyllic weather and rich history, can also unleash powerful storms. Medicanes, a portmanteau of “Mediterranean” and “hurricane,” are tropical-like cyclones that occasionally form over this basin. While less frequent and intense than their tropical counterparts, medicanes pose a significant threat to coastal communities …

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Heat Waves in India: A Burning Challenge

heat waves in India

Concept Heatwaves, periods of abnormally high temperatures exceeding seasonal norms, are a growing concern in India. These scorching events pose a significant threat to public health, agriculture, and overall economic well-being. The Scorching Reality: Frequency and Intensity on the Rise India experiences heatwaves primarily between March and June, with the …

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Dam Management in India

Dams Image

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 …

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Zoning of flood plains

Why in news: Punjab has been reeling under floods for well over a month now and the proposed solution to this is zoning of flood plains. Significance of flood plains: A river expands and contracts naturally over seasons and in different years. A flood plain is an area adjacent to the river which normally gets flooded when the …

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Heat waves in Mediterranean Sea

Salient features of world’s physical geography. Extreme heat has plagued the Mediterranean for weeks. What are marine heat waves? A marine heat wave (MHW) is an extreme weather event. It occurs when the surface temperature of a particular region of the sea rises to 3 or 4 degree Celsius above the average temperature for at least five …

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Lake Titicaca

Syllabus: World Geography Context Dipping water levels About the Lake In the Andes on the border between Bolivia and Peru. Highest of the world’s large lakes, world’s highest navigable sea and largest in South America after Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo Issues Within 25 cm of their all-time low record in 1996 …

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PERMAFROST

Amidst Rising Global Temperatures, thawing permafrost is likely to destabilize thousands of industrial sites and linked contaminated areas in the Arctic. The arctic is dotted with industrial facilities such as oilfields and pipelines, mines and military bases. The consequences of global warming and thawing permafrost were not taken into account for long and permafrost was considered as a …

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