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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)