Current Affairs February 2020 - Environment

1 - Cauvery Delta of Tamil Nadu declared Protected Agricultural Zone

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy declared Cauvery Delta region as a Protected Special Agriculture Zone. Cauvery Delta region includes eight Cauvery delta districts of Tamil Nadu including the rice bowl, Thanjavur. It is done with an aim to ensure food security of the State. Tamil Nadu government will not permit hydrocarbon exploration projects in Cauvery Delta region.

The Cauvery delta region is an important agriculture region in Tamil Nadu and farmers continue to do agriculture, despite climate challenges.

2 - PM Modi inaugurated 13^th COP of Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 13^th Conference of Parties of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. As the host, India was designated the President for the next three years. India will now preside over it till 2023.

India is a signatory to the Convention on Conservation of Migratory wild Animals since 1983. The government has been taking the necessary actions to protect and conserve migratory marine species.

3 - Kerala to host global meet on climate change, ocean health

ClimFishCon 2020, a three-day international conference on the impact of climate change on 'hydrological cycle, ecosystem, fisheries and food was organized at Kochi, Kerela. Various delegates such as scientists, researchers, administrators, policymakers, academicians, and entrepreneurs participated in the conference.

Conference witnessed strategies on climate emergency, vulnerability and resilience of coastal communities, changing hydrological cycles, blue economy, aquatic biodiversity based on theme ‘Climate Change-Effective Adaptation for a Secure Future’. A major workshop titled Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Wetlands was also organized.

4 - International protection for Great Indian Bustard, Bengal Florican and Asian Elephant

India’s proposal to include Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant and Bengal Florican in Appendix I of UN Convention on migratory species was unanimously accepted at the 13^th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on MigratorySpecies (CMS) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Inclusion of these species in Appendix I of CMS will aide in trans-boundary conservation efforts.

Asian Elephant: The Government of India has declared Indian elephant as National Heritage Animal.
Great Indian Bustard: The Great Indian Bustard is a Critically Endangered species with a small population of about 100–150 individuals that is largely restricted to Thar desert in Rajasthan, India.
Bengal Florican: The Bengal Florican an iconic, critically endangered species of topmost conservation priority.

5 - Delhi's IGI Airport becomes first single-use plastic-free airport of India

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has become free of single-use plastic usage. The Confederation of Indian Industry-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CII-ITC CESD) that supports the business community towards achieving sustainability has certified DIAL for its successful voluntary implementation of single-use plastic-free airport measures within IGI Airport's operations.

In September 2018, following the World Environment Day theme of 'Beat Plastic Pollution,' Delhi Airport was the first Indian airport to make 'single-use plastic-free' commitment in 2019.

6 - “Bezos Earth Fund” launched by Jeff Bezos to combat climate change

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos launched new ‘Bezos Earth Fund’ to help preserve and protect the natural world against the climate change. Around $10 billion is contributed by Jeff Bezos in the fund. The fund will help in issuing grants to climate-oriented scientists and activists. Climate change is the biggest threat to planet Earth.

Jeff Bezos founded e-commerce colossus Amazon in 1994. He is Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Amazon. Amazon.com Inc focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence.