Hanoi Declared World’s Most Polluted City: Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, has recently been identified as the world’s most polluted city, with PM2.5 levels reaching 266 micrograms per cubic meter. This alarming air quality has raised significant health concerns among residents and prompted government action.On January 3, 2025, AirVisual reported that Hanoi’s PM2.5 levels were the highest […]
Category: Environment Current Affairs
Thorium-based Nuclear Energy Production
Thorium-based Nuclear Energy Production: India’s largest power generator, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited has signed a strategic pact with US-based Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) to explore development and deployment of advanced nuclear energy for enriched life (ANEEL), thorium-based fuel.Developed by CCTE, Aneel is a thorium-based fuel for pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs).The Department […]
Banana Cultivation : Increased
Banana Cultivation : Increased According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), India has achieved a tenfold increase in banana exports over the past decade and aims to reach $1 billion in exports within the next five years. Banana is basically a tropical crop and the second most important fruit crop […]
Pallas’s Cat
Pallas’s Cat: The first photographic proof of Pallas’s cat in Himachal Pradesh, India, during a snow leopard survey recently, highlights urgent need for conservation of lesser-known species in the Indian Himalayas. The Pallas’s cat, or manul (Otocolobus manul), is a small, long-haired cat(family Felidae). It was named Pallas’s cat after Peter Simon Pallas, who first […]
Brazilian Velvet Ant
Brazilian Velvet Ant: A study in the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology revealed that the Brazilian velvet ant (Traumatomutilla bifurca) has “ultrablack” body parts.These parts absorb over 99.5% of visible light, making them nearly invisible. The discovery highlights unique biological nanostructures with potential applications in technology.Velvet ants are not “ants,” they are a species of wasp […]
Chhattisgarh’s Green GDP Initiative
Chhattisgarh’s Green GDP Initiative: Chhattisgarh has become the first Indian state to incorporate the ecological services of its forests into its economic framework by adopting the Green Gross Domestic Product (Green GDP) model. This initiative aims to link environmental contributions—such as clean air, water conservation, and biodiversity—to the state’s economic growth, ensuring sustainable development while […]
Elephant Population Rise
Elephant Population Rise: Assam’s latest Elephant Population Estimate 2024 reveals an estimated 5,828 elephants, marking a rise of 109 from the previous 2017 count. This synchronised estimation exercise highlights the stability of Assam’s elephant population despite challenges such as habitat fragmentation and human-elephant conflicts. Total Elephant Population Estimated at 5,828, an increase of 109 from […]
Stellaria bengalensis
Stellaria bengalensis: Researchers from the Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong discovered a new plant species and named it as Stellaria bengalensis. S. bengalensis is the annual herb plant of the genus Stellaria (family Caryophyllaceae). It was found growing on muddy soil slopes — at altitudes of 2,245-2,450 metres in the […]
Environment Summits of 2024
Environment Summits of 2024: In 2024, global environmental efforts faced a series of setbacks as key UN climate summits failed to deliver impactful resolutions. 2024 Climate Summits: Biodiversity (Colombia): Failed to finalize financing mechanisms for sustainable land-use practices, falling short of the $700 billion annual goal. Climate Change (Azerbaijan): Divisions over fossil fuel transition and […]
Central Groundwater Board
Central Groundwater Board: There are 440 districts in India with excessive nitrates in their groundwater as of 2023, an increase from 359 such districts in 2017, according to a report by the Central Groundwater Board (CGWB). CGWB is a multi-disciplinary scientific organization of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of […]
