1 Summary Environment Class 15 ## A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS CLASS (1:14 PM) ## OZONE HOLE (1:25 PM) - **Ozone depletion over Antarctica** - Over Antarctica during the winters, a large-scale ozone depletion is observed due to the following favorable conditions: - A large-extensive area of landmass - Very low temperature during winter - Formation of polar stratospheric clouds at low altitude - Due to cold temperatures, higher-than-normal amounts of polar stratospheric clouds are formed - The ice particle of polar stratosphere clouds provides a substrate for chemical reactions and release ozone-depleting agents causing depletion - The very cold temperatures during winter result in the formation of a polar vortex, which is a ring of rapidly circulating air confining ozone depletion to Antarctica - ***Timeline of events*** - June: Very low temperature and a vortex is formed - July and August: Free chlorine, bromine, and nitric oxide are liberated from their sinks, due to their reaction with polar stratospheric clouds - September: Spring begins and the first sunlight reaches Antarctica, polar stratospheric clouds disappear, and catalytic chlorine and bromine atoms are released on a large scale destroying ozone - October: Lowest levels of ozone over Antarctica - November: Vortex breaks and fresh ozone comes in reducing the ozone hole - ***Why not over the Arctic region?*** - Absence of extensive continental land area - Temperature is not low compared to Antarctica - Polar stratospheric clouds are limited - Vortex is not strong - ***Effects of ozone depletion*** - | | | | --- | --- | | Humans | Damage to DNA, gene mutation; skin diseases; cataracts and damage to eyes; reduced immunity | | Plants and Ecosystem | Crop productivity, plant metabolism, and development cycle; reproductive capacities, changes in species composition; biogeochemical cycles | | Air Quality | The chemical reactivity of gases increases; changes in concentration of O3, H2O2, and OH; changes in the lifetime of CH4 and other GHSs | ## ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (2:08 PM) - ***Timeline*** - 1864- The Imperial First Department was established with the efforts of Sir Dietrich Brandis, an Anglo-German officer (Father of Tropical Forestry) - 1865- Indian Forest Act - 1867- Imperial Forest Service - 1927- Indian Forest Act - 1935- Forestry subject was transferred to the provincial list - 1966- IFS (Indian Forest Service) reconstituted - 1972- Wildlife (Protection) Act - 1974- Water Act - 1976- 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, forest subject was transferred from state list to concurrent list - 1980- Forest Conservation Act - 1981- Air Act - 1986- Environment (Protection) Act - 1988- National Forest Policy - 2002- Biodiversity Act - 2006- Forest Rights Act - 2010- National Green Tribunal Act - 2016- Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act (CAMPFA) - ***Constitutional provisions related to forest*** - Article 48A under DPSP (Part IV) - The state shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country - Article 51A under Fundamental Duties (Part IV A) - Duty to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures - ***Indian Forest Act of 1865*** - It provided for the protection of trees inside forests and the prevention of forest fire - It prohibited cultivation and grazing in forest area - It introduced the concept of reserved and protected forests - ***Indian Forest Act of 1927*** - It defines a forest as an area occupied by the government for the conservation and management of biological and ecological resources - As per the act, the types of forests are: - 1. *==Private forest==* - The forest area that is not occupied by the government, but can regulate timber cutting and cultivation - 2. *==Public forest==* - The forest which belongs to the government - | | | | --- | --- | | Reserved forest | It is the forest that completely belongs to the government and once declared, the rights inside the forests are totally extinguished and settled | | Protected forest | These are the forests not reserved under the government but protected by the government for some period of time Not all the rights are extinguished in a protected forest | | Village forest | These are the forests which the government may assign to any village community its rights over a reserved forest | - The government is empowered to regulate the activities inside any forest or also punish any violators - The state government controls the movement of forest produce through the system of transit permit - ***Wildlife Protection Act of 1982*** - *==Authorities established under the act==* - The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) headed by the Prime Minister and the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) headed by the Chief Minister are apex bodies under the act - Director and Assistant  Director of Wildflie at national level and Chief Wildlife Warden and Wildlife Warden at the state level - National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) the apex body for the protection of tigers in the country derives its power from the act - Management Authority and Scientific Authority were introduced by an amendment of the act, in 2022 - Management Authority is responsible for the issuance of management of permits and certificates for scheduled specimens - Scientific Authority advises the Management Authority - Central Zoo Authority was established in 1991 for recognition and technical guidance for zoos in India - *==Protected Wildlife==* - Earlier there were six schedules which were reduced to four with an amendment | | | | --- | --- | | ***Schedule*** | ***Coverage*** | | I | Animal species with the highest level of protection | | II | Animal species with the lowest level of protection | | III | Protected plant species | | IV | Specimens listed under CITES | - The schedule for vermin as given in the original act was removed through amendment in 2022 - Wild animals can be declared as vermin by the central government through notification for a limited area and period - The scheduled animals shall not be killed except: - 1. In self-defense - 2. With the permission of the Chief Wildlife Warden on the grounds: - a) If an animal is dangerous to human life - b) In case the animal is disabled or diseased beyond the recovery stage - *==Protected Areas==* - It defines four types of protected areas i.e. National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary, Conservation Reserve and Community Reserve - 1. National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuary: - | | | | --- | --- | | ***National Park*** | ***Wildlife Sanctuary*** | | No human interference | Limited human interference | | Boundary is prescribed by the state legislature and can be changed only with its approval | No such restriction | | They are always regarding the protection of the entire habitat and are not species-oriented | They can be species oriented | - Both central and state governments can declare with prior approval of NBWL and SBWL - The size of protected areas can be bigger or smaller - Tourism is permissible and is not considered human interference - 2. Conservation Reserve and Community Reserve: - The government may declare any area adjoining a National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary as a conservation reserve if the land is owned by the government - If the land is held privately or by a community and is used for the conservation of wildlife and its habitat can be declared a community reserve - No change in land use pattern is allowed in conservation and community reserve - *==Changes introduced through amendment in 2022==* - Transfer or transport of captive elephants is allowed by persons having an ownership certificate - Permits may be granted for filmmaking in a sanctuary - The central government is empowered to regulate trade to control the proliferation of invasive alien species ## Topic for the next class: Environmental Conservation (Continued)