Ambrosia beetle: Rubber plantations in Kerala have been under threat since an ambrosia beetle-fungus alliance has been attacking trees, causing severe leaf fall and rapid drying. Ambrosia beetles get their name from the ambrosia fungi that call the beetle their home. The name ‘ambrosia’ is not taxonomic but ecological. These beetles are native to Central […]
Category: Environment Current Affairs
Global Wetland Outlook 2025
Global Wetland Outlook 2025: The Global Wetland Outlook (GWO) 2025, released by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention (1971), highlights that Africa’s wetlands are among the most degraded in the world. Wetlands (Seagrass, Kelp Forests, Coral Reefs, Estuarine Waters, Salt Marshes, Mangroves, Tidal Flats, Lakes, Rivers and Streams, Inland Marshes and Swamps, and Peatlands) cover […]
Pale-Capped Pigeon
Pale-Capped Pigeon: In a significant sighting for birdwatchers and conservationists alike, the elusive Pale-capped Pigeon was recently photographed in Dehing Patkai National Park in Assam. The pale-capped pigeon, also known as the purple wood pigeon, is a large, dark purplish-maroon bird that is found in parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Scientific Name: […]
Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary
Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary: The Karnataka government has violated Wildlife (Protection) Act as well as Supreme Court orders in clearing a proposal to reduce the extent of Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary,, while the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) has failed to ensure that denotification of 300 sq km of sanctuary is compensated. It is located in the […]
Lyriothemis abrahami : New species of dragonfly
Lyriothemis abrahami : New species of dragonfly A new species of dragonfly, Lyriothemis abrahami, which was previously misidentified as Lyriothemis flava due to superficial similarities, has been officially documented. It is a new species of dragonfly discovered in Kerala. It breeds in small water pools in tree holes. It exhibits strong dimorphism, with males featuring […]
Just Transition in the Global Plastics Treaty
Just Transition in the Global Plastics Treaty: The negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty initiated under the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution 5/14 (March 2022), have brought attention to the need for a Just Transition ensuring that efforts to end plastic pollution are both environmentally sustainable and socially fair. Part one of the 5th […]
‘Grandala’ electric-blue bird
‘Grandala’ electric-blue bird: A Rare ‘Grandala’ electric-blue bird was recently spotted in Sainj Valley, Himachal Pradesh. Grandala is a species of bird in the thrush family Turdidae. Scientific Name: Grandala coelicolor It is the only species placed in the genus Grandala. It is an arboreal insectivore. It ranges across the northeastern Indian Subcontinent and some […]
Tanimbar Islands
Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve: An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Tanimbar Islands region. The Tanimbar Islands are in the Indonesian province of Maluku, at the end of the long arc of islands that stretches from Sumatra through Java, Bali, Lombok and down through Timor. These Islands are a group of […]
RhoDIS India Programme
RhoDIS India Programme: A specialised team has initiated the genetic analysis of samples collected from 2,573 rhino horns and will add them to the RhoDIS India DNA data library. The Rhino DNA Index (RhoDIS) System is a wildlife forensics tool that was specially developed for investigating wildlife crime cases. In 2016, the Ministry of Environment, […]
Centre’s Exemption Policy for Thermal Plants
Centre’s Exemption Policy for Thermal Plants: The Union Environment Ministry has exempted 78% of India’s thermal power plant units from installing Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems meant to reduce SO₂ emissions. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued new norms based on a scientific advisory panel led by the Principal Scientific Adviser. […]
