2019 ENVIRONMENT (Jan-June)
Contents
Environment 2020 – JANUARY.......................................................................................................................Environment 2020 – FEBRUARY ....................................................................................................................
Environment 2020 – MARCH...........................................................................................................................
Environment 2020 – APRIL..............................................................................................................................
Environment 2020 – MAY ................................................................................................................................
Environment 2020 – JUNE..............................................................................................................................
Environment 2020 – JANUARY
Cyclonic Storm ‘PABUK’ over Andaman Sea & neighbourhood
• On 5th January 2019, a warning was issued by The India Meteorological Department (IMD) that a Cyclonic storm “PABUK” over Andaman Sea and neighbourhood is moving towards west-northwestwards with a speed of 21 kmph.Cyclone warning for Andaman Islands is “ORANGE MESSAGE”.Tropical Storm Usman hits Philippines
• On December 29, 2018, tropical Storm Usman hit Philippines’ Bicol region in Manila. The tropical depression brought heavy rains and triggered deadly landslides all over the country.
Garbage dumps leading to shift in food habits of wild animals: study
• On January 14, 2019, a research team including scientists from School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Asian Adventures and Nature Science Initiative stated that dumps are resulting in a shift in food habits of birds and wild animals.
Antarctica ice melts 6 times faster than 40 years ago:
• On January 14, 2020,American and Dutch scientists found that yearly ice mass loss in Antarctica increased six times more in the past 40 years.The increase in Antarctic snow accumulation that began 10,000 years ago is adding enough ice to the continent through the increased losses from its thinning glaciers.Death of George the tree snail marked the first extinction of 2019
• On 15th January 2019, death of 14-year-old Hawaiian tree snail named George marked the first extinction of 2019. He was last known member of his species. He belonged to “Achatinella apexfulva” species.2018, the sixth warmest year in India and fourth warmest globally
• On January 16, 2019, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its report titled ‘Climate of India during 2018’ announced that 2018 was the sixth warmest year in India since 1901 and total of 1,428 people died due to extreme weather events in 2018 alone. It was the fourth warmest year globally on record.Volcano erupts on Kuchinoerabu island of Japan
• On 17th January 2019, A Volcano was erupted on Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu island is 1,000km southwest of the capital, Tokyo of Japan which spewed ash and smoke up to 6000 metres into the air.Small Woodbrown butterfly rediscovered in Sikkim after 120 years
• On January 16, 2019, butterfly researchers of Sikkim rediscovered the Small Woodbrown butterfly species from Bakhim in Khanchendzonga National Park after a span of 120 long years.Two new species of moss rose discovered in south India
• On January 16, 2019, The two new species named Portulaca badamica and Portulaca lakshminarasimhaniana were discovered from Badami hills in Bagalkot district of Karnataka.Scientists Warn of Climate “time bomb” for World’s Groundwater
• On 21st January 2019, scientists warn that if climate change is to have a significant effect on the world’s groundwater reserves, the future generations could be faced with an environmental “time bomb”.Ten threats to Global Health in 2019:WHO
• On January 22, 2019, The World Health Organization released a list of top ten threats to global health in 2019 and considered vaccination to be the effective weapon to prevent the same.Earth’s oldest rock found in Moon Sample brought 48 years ago
• On January 24, 2019 Scientists discovered the oldest Earth rock on the Moon, it is found from the lunar sample bought by the Apollo 14 astronauts.
First Captive Elephant Survey:Ministry of Environment and Forests(MoEF)
• On January 30, 2019,According to the first survey of elephants in captivity by Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF),there were 2,454 elephants in captivity.Superbug gene’ – first detected in Arctic
• On January 29, 2019,Scientist found a ‘Superbug’,- first detected in New Delhi over a decade back — in one of the last “pristine” places on Earth that is some 12,870 km away and coded as blaNDM-1(called New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1).Environment 2019 – FEBRUARY
Bedin 1- New Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy discovered by Hubble Space Telescope
• Astronomers from Italy, the UK, Germany and the United States discovered the Bedin 1- New Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy from Hubble Space Telescope. It is located 28.38 million light years from Earth.Global warming’s impact on El Nino in 2019
• El Nino is a climatic chain characterized by high air pressure in the Western Pacific and low air pressure in the eastern. Its impact on El nino may make year 2019 as the warmest year.A New Snake Species "Hebius lacrima" discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
• A non-venomous snake species has been discovered by Herpetologists Jayaditya Purkayastha and Patrick David in Guwahati, Arunachal Pradesh. The Snake has been named as “Crying Keelback (Hebius lacrima)” due to the presence of black spots below the snake’s eye which is taken as an allusion for crying.106 Coastal and Marine sites got identified under National Wildlife Action Plan
• According to a biennial report released by the government, the Centre has identified 106 Coastal and Marine sites as Conservation Reserves under its National Wildlife Action plan for the period of 2017-2031.Dolphin numbers have shrunk in Odisha, reveals Census
• A census carried out by the Odisha’s forest and environment department on January 19, 2019 revealed that the population of dolphins in its waters has drastically declined from 469 in 2018 to 259 this year.Scientists discover massive mountains under Earth’s crust
• Massive mountains have been discovered by scientists. These mountains are located in the Earth’s mantle at a depth of 660 km, and could provide a breakthrough on how the planet was formedRare frog species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
• A rare frog species was found by Scientists at Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh. The Crimson coloured, Convex-Vented Horned Species (Megophryspachyproctus), was collected from Tale Valley Wildlife Sanctuary of the district in 2017.Tortoise feared extinct for 100 years spotted on Galapagos island
• A species of tortoise- Fernandina Giant Tortoise, labelled by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as critically endangered and possibly extinct for the last 100 years, was rediscovered in Galapagos Island of Fernandina.Australian small brown rat becomes World’s first mammal to go extinct due to climate change
• A small brown rat of bramble cay melomys species lived on a tiny island off northern Australia and becomes the world’s first mammal to have become extinct due to “human-induced climate change”.It was found only on a small sand island near the coast of Papua New Guinea.World’s largest bee spotted the first time since 1981
• Wallace’s giant bee (Megachile pluto), the largest bee known on the Earth which was considered to be extinct since 1981 was re-spotted in an Indonesian forest.Himachal Pradesh government declared Monkeys as vermin
• Monkey’s are declared as vermin by the Himachal Pradesh government again,in 11 districts,91 tehsils and sub-tehsils for the next one year.Environment 2019 – MARCH
India collaborates with four nations to protect Asian rhinos
• India decided to collaborate with Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia and Malaysia with an objective to increase the population of three Asian rhino species – Greater one-horned rhinoceros, Javan rhino and Sumatran rhino, by signing the New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019 at the recently held Second Asian Rhino Range Countries, at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, New Delhi.Air pollution from stubble burning costs India USD 30 billion annually
• According to a study of US-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Air pollution due to crop residue burning in northern India causes an estimated economic loss of USD 30 billion (Rs 2 lakh crore) annually, and is a leading risk factor of acute respiratory infections, especially among children.Indian Sundarbans became ‘Wetland of International Importance’
• The Indian Sundarban was accorded with the status of ‘Wetland of International Importance’ in the Ramsar Convention. Indian Sundarban which is also a UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) world heritage site, is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger.A new species of frog named ‘Starry Dwarf Frog’ found in Western Ghats
• A new species of frog known as ‘Starry Dwarf Frog’ has been discovered in Western Ghats mountain range. It has been named ‘Astrobatrachus kurichiyana’ and is found in Kurichiyarmala, Kerala.Cyclone Idai hit the port city of Beira
• Cyclone Idai hit the Mozambique city of Beira and caused heavy rain and landfall at the port city. More than 100 people have been killed by the heavy rains and storm of up to 177 km/h (106 mph) in the Mozambique and Malawi. The Cyclone is now heading towards Zimbabwe.IITs, IISc and SDc collaborated for climate change vulnerability assessment for Indian Himalayan region
• Indian Institute of Technology- Guwahati, Mandi, and Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru, Department of Science (DST) have joined hands with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to develop a climate change vulnerability assessment for the Indian Himalayan region comprising 12 states using a common framework called as the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE).In Meghalaya India’s deepest shaft cave discovered
• During the 28th edition of the annual ‘Caving in the Abode of the Clouds Expedition ’,a five-member team of cavers of Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association (MAA) has discovered India’s deepest shaft at Krem Um Ladaw. It has 105 m deep shaft entrance passage.Israelis cave explorers unveiled ‘world’s longest salt cave’
• The Israeli cave explorers discovered the world’s longest cave named Malham near the Dead sea, beating the record-holder in Iran. The cave is spread in an area of 10 kilometers (6.25 miles) and it runs through the Israel’s largest mountain, Mount Sodom and spills out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea.Notification of Island protection zone (IPZ) 2019 for Andaman and Nicobar
• Island Protection Zone (IPZ) 2019 notification for Andaman and Nicobar has been notified by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The purpose of these changes in the Island Protection Zone (IPZ) is aligned with the Niti Aayog’s proposal for holistic development in the Islands.Environment 2019 – APRIL
India's "Hump-backed mahseer", freshwater fish added in "Critically Endangered" list
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species added hump-backed mahseer ,also known as ‘Tor remadevii’ or ‘tiger of water’ in critically endangered species list. It is freshwater fish endemic to the Western Ghats of South India and only found in Kaveri River basins.Two new birds spotted in North Kerala’s Aralam sanctuary during a recent bird survey
• The Woolly-necked Stork and White-bellied Drongo, both dry-land species of birds have been spotted in North Kerala’s Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary during The 19th bird survey. The survey was conducted jointly by the forest and wildlife department and the Malabar Natural History Society (MNHS).Prehistoric fossil of a 40 million-year-old whale found in Peru
• A 40 million-year-old fossil of a whale-with-four-legs, webbed feet and hooves has been excavated by palaeontologists from the marine sediments inland from Peru’s Pacific coast at Playa Media Luna. The 13 feet long mammal has been named as "Peregocetus pacificus". The findings have been published in the scientific journal Current Biology.Phayeng Village of Manipur tagged as India’s first carbon-positive settlement
• Phayeng, a scheduled caste village of the Chakpa community in Imphal West district of Manipur has been tagged as India’s first carbon-positive settlement. Also, it has been revived from the funding under National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC), which is a central scheme launched in 2015-16 to support adaptation for climate change impact in various states.Earth’s CO2 levels reached 410 ppm, highest in 3 million years
• Germany scientists have warned that there is more Carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere than in the past three million years. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has gone “unnatural”. Research was made by using a new computer simulation at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.Meteorological Department issues 'Yellow' weather warning for Himachal Pradesh
• The Meteorological Department issued a yellow weather warning for rain in Himachal Pradesh by forecasting thunderstorm with hail in isolated places over the state. Code color yellow is the least dangerous weather warning which indicates the possibility of severe weather over the next few days that could affect people.A group of jumping spiders spotted for the first time in Ernakulam’s Illithodu forests, Kerala
• A new species of jumping spiders named "Habrocestum longispinum" has been spotted in Ernakulam’s Illithodu forests, Kerala by the arachnologists from Kochi’s Sacred Heart College, Thevara. This new species belong to the genus Habrocestum, is being found in Eurasia and Africa.Periyar river in Kerala turns black
• Kerala's Periyar River has turned black near the Pathalam Regulator cum Bridge. This discolouration of Periyar and fish kills have been a serious issue for last couple of years. About hundred Indian anchovies (Kozhuva) fishes were found dead along the banks of the Muttar river, a tributary of the Periyar.Rs 100-crore penalty imposed on Andhra Pradesh Govt. by National Green Tribunal (NGT)
• National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a penalty of Rs 100 crore on the Andhra Pradesh government for illegal sand mining in the state. Penalty has been imposed on the lines of plea filed by Andhra Pradesh resident Anumolu Gandhi, alleging illegal sand mining was causing damage to Krishna, Godavari rivers and their tributaries in the state.The death toll from destructive Cyclone Idai rises above 1,000
• The death toll from the cyclone idai that crashed southeast Africa last month has risen above 1000, while more than 4000 cholera cases and seven deaths from the illness reported.The Cyclone hit Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi on March 14. It is the second-deadliest tropical cyclone recorded in the South-West Indian Ocean basin, after 1892 Mauritius cyclone.Scientists have discovered "Homo luzonensis", a previously unknown species of humans in Philippines
• The archaeologists unearthed the remains of at least 2 adults and 1 juvenile (a species of Homo luzonensis) within the archaeological deposits in the Philippines. This discovery has been published in Nature, an International journal of science. The new species, Homo luzonensis is named after Luzon Island, the largest island of Philippines.Last known female of Yangtze giant softshell turtle dies in China zoo
• The last known female member of Yangtze giant softshell turtle, 90 years old, died in Suzhou Zoo, China. Now, there are only three left in the world. The Wildlife Conservations Society (WCS) declares the Yangtze giant softshell turtle the world's most critically endangered turtle species.NASA spotted lakes filled with Methane on Saturn's moon Titan
• NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Cassini spacecraft has made an incredible observation about the extraordinary deep lakes filled with methane in the Saturn's moon, Titan. This new study has been published in the scientific journal Astronomy..UN List Bhopal Gas Tragedy as one of the world’s ‘Major Industrial Accident’ in 20th century
• UN labour agency International Labour Organisation (ILO) in its recent report titled “The Safety and the Health at the Heart of the Future of Work- Building on 100 years of Experience” termed Bhopal Gas Tragedy as one of the world’s ‘major industrial accident’ which killed more than 15,000 people due to the result of at least 30 tons of highly toxic Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas leak in Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal in 1984.A new species of East Asian birds 'Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo' (Chalcites basalis) have been spotted at Andaman And Nicobar.
• ‘Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo’ (Chalcites basalis) is a native of Australia and New Guinea. According to Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) sighting of these birds have increased ever since the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. The tiny bird measures roughly about 15 cm and weighs 22 g. They are differentiated by their green and black feathers at their back.Two new bird species found on Indonesian islands
• Zoologists at Trinity College Dublin have discovered two new bird species named as the Wakatobi white-eye (Zosterops Chloris flavissimus)and the Wangi-Wangi white-eye in the Wakatobi Archipelago of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Details of their discovery were published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.Callichimaeraperplexa: New 95 million-year-old ‘cartoon-eyed’ crab species found in Columbia
• Alberta University paleontologists have discovered 95 million-year-old coin-sized ‘cartoon-eyed’ crab species called Callichimaera perplexa. It was published it in the journal, Science Advances. It is believed that the crab is from mid-cretaceous period & it must have hailed from what is now Colombia, Northern Africa & Wyoming.UN: Humans Put 1 Million Species at Risk of Extinction
• According to a draft United Nations report, which is to be published on 6 May 2019 in Agence France-Presse (AFP), up to one million world species are at risk of extinction due to human activity. The 44-page draft report has summarized 1,800-page U.N. assessment of scientific literature on the state of nature. On 29th April 2019, it will vet in a 130 nations meeting in Paris, France.Environment 2019 – MAY
Cyclone Fani hits Odisha and West Bengal
• Cyclone Fani with a maximum wind speed of 240-250 kmph, is one of the most biggest and fiercest cyclonic storm over the east coast in nearly two decades. Several villages nearby Puri in Odisha have submerged due to heavy rains and till now at least 3 people have lost their life. Central government has released Rs 1086 crore advanced financial assistance to four states for undertaking preventive and relief measures to deal with cyclone ‘Fani’.Yeti’ footprints sighted claims Indian Army tweet
• The official Twitter account of the Indian Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information tweeted that an Indian Army mountaineering expedition team has sited mysterious footprints of mythical himalayan beast “Yeti” measuring 32×15 inches (81 centimeters by 38 centimeters) close to Makalu Base Camp,located in North-Eastern Himalayas on 09 April 2019.Country’s biggest stucco figurine unearthed in Telangana’s Phanigiri
• Indian archaeologists recently unearthed a life-sized stucco sculpture from a Buddhist site at Phanigiri in Suryapet, Telangana. As per heritage department officials it represents one of Bhodhisattva in JathakaChakra.This is the largest stucco sculpture found from India till date. It is considered to have been built at at peak of Ikshavaku dynasty.UN report termed ‘Global Assessment’ notifies that 40% of amphibian species and 1 million of insect and fauna are threatened
• The UN Report termed as ‘Global Assessment’, stated that, among the approximated 8 million plant, insect and animal species, around 1 million is at risk of extinction within decades due to human activity. The report was endorsed by 130 countries, including the U.S., Russia andChina. The research study was launched in Paris by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
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