Ecology & Environment (9th - 14th March)

2020
CURRENT
AFFAIRS
ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT
9th March - 14th March

1. Kyasanur Forest Disease
Why in News?
There is a proposal to set up a research centre on Kyasanur Forest Disease
(KFD) in Sagar, Karnataka.
• The State government has already allocated ₹15 crore for establishing the
centre, which will take up study and research on tackling KFD.
Kyasanur Forest Disease

• It is caused by Kyasanur Forest disease Virus (KFDV), a member of
the virus family Flaviviridae.
• It was first identified in 1957 in a sick monkey from the Kyasanur Forest
in Karnataka.
o Since then, between 400-500 human cases per year have been
reported.
• KFD is endemic to the Indian state of Karnataka.
• Transmission:
o Transmission to humans may occur after a tick bite or contact with
an infected animal, most importantly a sick or recently dead
monkey.
o No person-to-person transmission has been described.
• Signs and Symptoms:
o After an incubation period of 3-8 days, the symptoms like chills,
fever, headache, severe muscle pain, vomiting, gastrointestinal
symptoms and bleeding may occur.
o Patients may experience abnormally low blood pressure, and low
platelet, red blood cell, and white blood cell counts.
• Diagnosis:
o It can be diagnosed in the early stage of illness by molecular
detection by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) or virus isolation
from blood.
o Later, serologic testing using enzyme-linked immunosorbent
serologic assay (ELISA) can be performed.
• Treatment and Prevention:
o There is no specific treatment for KFD although a vaccine is
available and is used in endemic areas of India.
o Additional preventative measures include insect repellents and
wearing protective clothing in areas where ticks are endemic.
2. CPCB Notifies Contaminated Sites

Why in News?
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), there are 128
sites in India contaminated by toxic and hazardous substances.
• West Bengal led the list with 27 sites followed by Odisha at 23.
• The Union Environment Ministry has been monitoring and has begun
to commission clean-up jobs at sites known to be contaminated.
Incidents of Contamination
• Oil contamination in Tamil Nadu
• Pesticide and heavy metal contamination in creeks at Eloor, Kerala
• Chromium contamination at Rania
• Electronic waste lying on the banks of river Ramganga, Moradabad
• Mercury contamination of the soil at Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, and
Ganjam, Odisha
• Chromium contamination at Ranipet, Tamil Nadu, and Lohianagar, Uttar
Pradesh.
•
Central Pollution Control Board
• CPCB is a statutory organisation set up under the Water (Prevention
and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
• It works under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change according to the provisions of Environment (Protection)
Act of 1986.
• It was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention
and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• Functions:
o to promote cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the
States by prevention, control and abatement of water pollution.
o to improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air
pollution in the country.
Ramganga River
• The Ramganga river rises from Dudhatoli ranges in the Garhwal district
of Uttarakhand.
• It is a left-bank tributary of the Ganga. It enters the Ganga Plain near
Kalagarh.
• Ramganga flows by the Corbett National Park near Ramnagar of
Nainital district.
• The Ramganga Dam, also known as the Kalagarh Dam, is an
embankment dam on the Ramganga River.
• Tributaries: Khoh, the Gangan, the Aril, the Kosi, and the Deoha
(Gorra).
3. Illegal Trade of Red Panda
Why in News?
Recently, TRAFFIC has released a report titled “Assessment of illegal trade-
related threats to Red Panda in India and selected neighbouring range
countries”.
• It analysed poaching and illegal trade of the species for the ten-year
period from July 2010 to June 2019.
Key Findings
• The red pandas are crucial for the eastern and north-eastern
Himalayan subalpine conifer forests and the eastern Himalayan
broadleaf forests.
• The animal has been hunted for meat and fur, besides illegal capture
for the pet trade.
o An estimated 14,500 animals are left in the wild across Nepal,
Bhutan, India, China and Myanmar.
• The report has indicated that the traditional demand for red panda
meat and related products has reduced over time.
• Also, the reduction in poaching and illegal trade of red panda is indicative
of the success of awareness campaigns about the conservation of the
species.
Recommendations
• Community-based conservation and protection for the species as its
habitat stretches across remote areas.
• Trans-boundary law enforcement co-operation through the use of
multi-government platforms like SAWEN (South Asia Wildlife
Enforcement Network).
o SAWEN was formally established at an inter-governmental
meeting hosted in Paro (a town in Bhutan) by the Royal
Government of Bhutan, in January 2011.
o It aims to establish multilateral collaboration to fight wildlife
crime in the region.
Red Panda
• The red panda is a small reddish-brown arboreal mammal.
• The only living member of the genus Ailurus.
• Protection Status:
o IUCN Red List: Endangered
o CITES: Appendix II
o Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• Habitat: India, Nepal, Bhutan Myanmar and southern China
o India: Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal and northern
Arunachal Pradesh.
o It is also the state animal of Sikkim.
• It thrives best at 2,200-4,800m, in mixed deciduous and conifer forests
with dense understories of bamboo.
TRAFFIC – The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network

• TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organisation working
globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both
biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
• It is a joint program of WWF and IUCN – the International Union for
Conservation of Nature created in 1976.
• TRAFFIC focuses on leveraging resources, expertise and awareness of
the latest globally urgent species trade issues such as tiger parts,
elephant ivory and rhino horn.
4. White Giraffe
Why in News?
Poachers have killed two extremely rare white giraffes in northeast Kenya,
leaving just one such animal in the world.
Key Points
• The white giraffe was first spotted in 2016 with its unique white hide.
• It is white but not albino.
o The white appearance of the giraffe is due to leucism, a genetic
condition that causes skin cells to have no pigmentation.
• Leucism and Albinism:
o The condition leucism is different from albinism where no melanin
is produced at all.
o Unlike albinism, animals with leucism continue to produce dark
pigment in their soft tissue, thus her eyes were dark in colour.
Giraffe
• Habitat: Found in savanna region/woodland habitats and range widely
throughout Africa.
• IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable
• Factors leading to population decline:
o Habitat loss
o Civil unrest
o Poaching
o Ecological issues
5. Water Crisis in Himalayan Region
Why in News?
According to a survey, eight towns in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region of
Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Pakistan were nearly 20%-70% deficient in their
water supply.
Key Points
• Major Challenges:
o The places surveyed are extremely dependent on springs (ranging
between 50% and 100%) for their water, and three-fourths were in
urban areas.
▪ Under current trends, the demand-supply gap may double by
2050.
o Communities are coping through short-term strategies such as
groundwater extraction, which is proving to be unsustainable.
o Projections show that over 50% of the population will be living in
cities by 2050, placing “tremendous stress” on water availability in
these areas.
▪ At present only 3% of the total Hindu Kush Himalayan
population lives in larger cities and 8% in smaller towns.
o Rural areas have typically garnered much of the attention in terms
of development and issues surrounding urban environments have
been “sidelined”.
• Factors Responsible:
o Unplanned urbanisation
o Climate change
o Encroachment and degradation of natural water bodies (springs,
ponds, lakes, canals, and rivers)
o Growing disappearance of traditional water systems (stone spouts,
wells, and local water tanks)
o Poor water governance
• Way Forward:
o A holistic water management approach that includes springshed
management and planned adaptation is paramount.
Hindu Kush and Himalayan Range (HKH)

• It is part of the “Third Pole” as it forms the largest area of permanent ice
cover outside of the North and South Poles.
• It has significant implications for climate.
o It contains vast cryospheric zones and is also the world’s largest
store of snow and ice outside the polar region.
• Generally, areas covered under HKH Region:
o Afghanistan o Bangladesh
o Bhutan o Myanmar
o China o Nepal
o India o Pakistan
6. Effects of Changing Groundwater Levels on Himalayas

Why in News?
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) have found
that the Himalayan range subsides and moves up depending on the seasonal
changes in groundwater, apart from the normal and common reasons.
• IIG is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science &
Technology (DST).
• It is the first time that the rising Himalayas has been looked at from a
hydrological standpoint.
Major Findings
• The Global Positioning System (GPS) and Gravity Recovery And
Climate Experiment (GRACE) data were used to quantify the
variations of hydrologic mass.
o The GRACE satellites were launched by the US in 2002.
o Aim: To monitor changes in water and snow stores on the
continents, enabling the researchers to study terrestrial hydrology.
• In the Himalaya, seasonal water from glaciers, as well as monsoon
precipitation, plays a key role in the deformation of the crust and the
seismicity associated with it.
o Water acts as a lubricating agent, and hence when there is water in
the dry season, the rate of slip of the fault in this region is reduced.
o The subsidence rate is associated with groundwater consumption.
• The combined GPS and GRACE data suggest a 12% reduction in the
rate of the subsurface slip.
o Subsurface slip refers to how fast the fault is slipping relative to the
foot and hanging wall.
• The slip occurs at the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT), due to
hydrological variations and human activities, over which there is the
periodic release of accumulated strain.
o The Indian plate under thrusts the Eurasian plate along a northerly
dipping detachment surface known as Main Himalayan Thrust
(MHT)
o It separates the downgoing Indian plate from the overriding
Himalayan wedge.

Ecology & Environment (9th - 14th March)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ecology & Environment (9th - 14th March)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ecology & Environment (9th - 14th March)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

2020

9th March - 14th March

Kyasanur Forest Disease

2. CPCB Notifies Contaminated Sites

TRAFFIC – The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network

Hindu Kush and Himalayan Range (HKH)

6. Effects of Changing Groundwater Levels on Himalayas

You might also like