Upsc Environment

Bhitarkanika National Park

Bhitarkanika National Park, known for hosting large numbers of migratory birds during winter, is witnessing an early departure of these avian visitors.

Location: It is located in the Kendrapara district of Odisha.

The National park is essentially a network of creeks and canals which are inundated with waters from the Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, and Patasala rivers forming a unique ecosystem.

It is spread over a vast area of 672 sq.km.

It is India’s second largest mangrove ecosystem after the Sunderbans.
It houses a variety of brooks, backwaters, estuaries, deltas, and mud huts. 

Proximity to the Bay of Bengal makes the soil of the area enriched with salt; the vegetation and species of the sanctuary are comprised of those that are mainly found in the tropical and subtropical intertidal regions.

It is also designated as the second Ramsar site in Odisha after the Chilika Lake.

Flora: Mangrove species, casuarinas, and grasses like the indigo bush.
Fauna:

It is home to the largest congregation of the endangered Salt Water Crocodile in the country.

The Gahirmatha Beach, which forms the boundary of the park in the east, is the largest colony of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles.

It is also home to numerous animals like hyenas, wild boar, Chitals, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Jungle cat, Wild Pigs, etc., and migratory birds, which make it their home during the winter season, lending a vibrant hue to the eco system.

Bhavani River in News

Bhavani river warer - unsafe for drinking.

It originates in the upper regions of the Nilgiris of Western Ghats.

It flows across three districts of Tamil Nadu, Nilgiris, Coimbatore and Erode.

It is a major tributary of the Cauvery River and the second largest river in Tamil Nadu.

The river confluences with Cauvery river at the town of Bhavani after it travels 185 km distance. About 90 per cent of the river water is used for agriculture.

The drainage basin of this perennial river is spread over an area of 6,200 square kilometers, out of which, eighty seven percent is in Tamil Nadu, nine percent in Kerala and four percent in Karnataka.

Tributaries of Bhavani River: The largest tributaries of the Bhavani River are West and East Varagar, which come from the Nilgiris. 

Bhavani Sangameshwarar Temple, situated at the meeting point of Bhavani and the Cauvery Rivers, is a prominent pilgrim center.

The Bhavanisagar dam is constructed on this River which is one of the world's largest earthen dams.

New Ramsar Sites Added

Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary
Location: Tamil Nadu
It is a unique mosaic wetland ecosystem located close to the Gulf of Mannar on the Central Asian flyway, a regular route for the migratory birds that comes from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
This wetland acts as a breeding ground for several Resident/Resident-Migrant species of waterfowl.

Therthangal Bird Sanctuary
Location: Tamil Nadu
It lies along the Central Asian Flyway and are critical breeding and foraging grounds for waterbirds, including the Spot-billed Pelican, Black-headed Ibis, and Oriental Darter.
It plays a crucial role in climate regulation, recharging of groundwater, and irrigation.
The sanctuary is home for many important endemic and near threatened species including the Painted stork, Black-headed ibis, Spot-billed pelican, Oriental darter and Pallied harrier among others

Udhwa Lake
Location: Jharkhand
Itis named after saint Uddhava of Mahabharat times, a friend of Lord Krishna.
It falls within the Gangetic Plains bio-geographic zone.
The Sanctuary has two water bodies i.e. Patauran (155 ha) and Berhale(410 ha), interconnected by a water channel. Patauran is a comparatively clean water body.
It is the first Ramsar designated wetland from Jharkhand.

Khecheopalri Lake
Location: Sikkim
It is a sacred gem revered by both Buddhists and Hindus.
It is known as a wish-fulfilling lake, its tranquil waters are believed to be blessed by Guru Padmasambhava and the Goddess Tara.
It is surrounded by lush forests and the mystical aura of ancient legends, this enchanting lake, part of the revered Demazong valley.

Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary

Recently, The Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation has implemented the real-time monitoring and networking system in the Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary under the Thiruvananthapuram Forest Division.

About Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary

Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary It is located in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala spread over area 53 sq km.

It was declared as wildlife sanctuary in 1983.

The sanctuary constitutes the catchments of peppara dam constructed across the Karamana River.

Topography:
 Altitude ranging from 100 to 1717 m.
The major peaks in the sanctuary are Chemmunjimottai (1717 m), Athirumalai 1594 m.
The vazhvanthol waterfall is located nearby to it.

Forest Types: Forest types include tropical evergreen forests, moist mixed deciduous forests and semi-evergreen forest, Myristica swamp forest etc.

Biodiversity:
 Common tree species are Terminalia paniculta, T. bellerica, PTEROCARPUS MARSUPIUM, Palaquium ellipticum, Mesua ferrea, Hopea parviflora, Bombax ceiba, etc.
 43 species of mammals, 233 sp. of birds, 46 species of reptiles, 13 species of amphibians and 27 species of fishes are reported from the sanctuary.

The common mammals found are Tiger, Leopard, Sloth bear, The Asian Elephan, Sambars, Barking deer, Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, Nilgiri tahr etc.

Biennial Transparency Report

India is in the final stages of preparing its first ever Biennial Transparency Report (BTR), part of its commitment as a signatory to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

About Biennial Transparency Report

The BTR is a report prepared and submitted by Parties to the Paris Agreement under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) that captures information on their progress in implementing the different aspects of the Agreement. 

The different aspects are covered in the five separate chapters of the BTR, some of which are mandatory and some of which are optional.

Different chapters and components of the BTR:
-National Inventory Report of GHG Emissions: All Parties - Mandatory
-Progress made in implementing and achieving the NDC: All Parties - Mandatory
-Climate change impacts and adaptation: All Parties - Optional
-Financial, technology transfer, and capacity building support provided: 
Developed country Parties - Mandatory
Other Parties that provide support - Optional
-Financial, technology transfer, and capacity-building support needed and received: Developing country Parties - Optional

All Parties to the Paris Agreement, except for small island developing states (SIDS) and the least developed countries (LDCs), are required to provide country-specific information on the implementation of the Paris Agreement in the form of BTR every two years. 

Recognizing the capacity constraints faced by SIDS and LDCs, and the need to provide flexibility in light of their national circumstances, SIDS and LDCs may submit BTRs at their discretion.

As the reporting instrument of the Paris Agreement, BTRs help facilitate mutual trust and confidence between countries and allow parties and non-party stakeholders to understand the state of climate action in each country.

TrailGuard AI System

Similipal Tiger Reserve is the first reserve where TrailGuard AI system has shown success as an ‘anti-poaching tool.

About TrailGuard AI System
It is an end-to-end, camera-based alert system designed for enhancing wildlife conservation and promoting human-wildlife coexistence in remote areas.

Features of TrailGuard AI System
The system combines durable outdoor hardware, on-the-edge AI algorithms, and real-time transmission capabilities, and can be deployed along trails or access points in areas of interest.

Its battery lasts for six months to one year based on the number of photos it sends

It autonomously detects target objects, and transmits real-time alerts that can trigger rapid-response to entry by poachers or illegal loggers, wildlife entering agricultural or pastoral lands, or status of endangered or exotic invasive species.

It transmits human and wildlife activities in remote areas in under 30 seconds, enabling real-time interventions.

Working of TrailGuard AI System
They operate on a low-power mode by default but switch to a high-power mode when they sense movement, and capture an image.

The camera then performs AI inference on the edge, meaning it uses the chip inside to sort between various object classes such as ‘animals’, ‘humans’, and ‘vehicles’ in the image.

If the AI deems it necessary, it autonomously transmits an image using the cellular system attached to the camera to an end-user in 30-40 seconds.