Ecological Intensification
Knowledge intensive process, requiring optimal management of nature’s ecological functions, to improve performance of agricultural systems & farmer livelihoods through effective use of ecosystem services.
Significance for indian agriculture
- resilience
- lowering vulnerability due to climate change
- lower canopy temp due to tree cover
- income diversification eg. through polyculture
- ecological buffer eg. Agroforestry
- restoration of degraded soil
- judicious water use
- inc farm productivity & profits through reduced input use & new revenue sources
- economic value to indigenous knowledge & traditional farming practices
- eg. Bamboo drip irrigation system of Apatani tribe
- women participation, increasing their economic agency
- strengthen india’s image as global leader in implementation of SDG
- achieving land degradation neutrality
Govt schemes
- National Mission on Natural Farming
- Paramaparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna
- Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati
Protecting env during regular usages
- circular economy
- retrofitting vehicles
- extended producer responsibility
CAG Audit flags shortcoming in Green India Mission (GIM)
- weak inter scheme convergence
- poor monitoring
- large target shortfall in forest cover & quality
- Convergence with CAMPA, MGNREGS, Nagar Van Yojna failed
What is GIM
- GIM under National Aption Plan on Climate Change 2008
- NDC: Paris Agreement (revise latest NDC)
- CAMPA (revise the scheme)
Earthquake Swarm
(also for disaster mgmt)
source: Vajiram
Context (quote if direct question comes)
Maharashtra recorded 29 low intensity shallow earthquakes in 2 weeks in August 2026
- WHAT: multiple seismmic events of comparable intensity strke a small area in quick seccussion
- when seismic energy consolidates inside Earth and is released in small amounts from certain pont
What causes quake swarm?
- volcanic fluid movement, circulation
- active volcanism
- slow slip event
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
EU’s climate trade policy instrument to put carbon price on import of carbon intensive goods entering EU.
Aims to equalize price of carbon paid by domestic EU manufacturer under EU emission trading system with that paid on imported goods.
How?
- targeted industrial sectors - iron & steel, aluminium, cement, fertilizer, hydrogen, electricity
- calculation of embedded emission
- purchase & surrender of CBAM certificates
- domestic carbon price reduction
Why EU Carbon Tax needed?
- prevent carbon leakage
- leveling playing field for domestic industry
- incentivize global decarbonization
- closing climate policy asymmetry
- mobilize clean transition revenues
Implications
- BRICS nations have severe exposure in key export sectors
- Iron & steel are 90% of India’s total CBAM exposed exports to EU
- disproportionate burden on developing economies (coal based power grids)
- violation of CBDR
- Market access barrier for MSME
- trade divergence, Supply chain segregation
Raichur Miyawaki Forest: Waste To Woods
- Raichur, Karnataka
- under SBM-Urban2.0, Raichur City corporation gave landscape new ecological purpose
- scientific waste remediation
- Miyawaki Forest created
- living ecological asset
UNCCD COP 17: Advancing Global Drought Resilience and Land Restoration
- Restoring Land, Restoring Hope
- rangeland conservation, drought financing, community led restoration
UNCCD
- estd. 1992 after Rio Earth Summit
- sole legally binding intl agreement linking env & development to sustainable land mgmt
- 2026 is UN Intl. year of rangelands & pastoralists
- Land degradation neutrality agenda
COP 17 UNCCD Highlights
- 40% world’s land surface area already degraded
- Mongolia (host nation): 77% land degraded
- Billion Trees Campaign 2021
- AI Powered Drought Resilience Index
- Drought Resilience Investment Facility: co-launched by UNCCD & Luxembourg
- $1.3B in new & pipeline financing
- institutional agendization: drought will become permanent standalone agenda item COP18 onwards
India’s stance
- first ever Guide to Grasslands & Open Natural Ecosystems
- Bonn Challenge Restoration Progress: 21.76M Hectares of degraded & deforested land under active restoration
- advocated for recognizing pastoralists as frontline ecological stewards
- eg. Orans of Rajasthan
- reiterated demands for adequate, predictable, sustained intl climate finance
India’s domestic initiatives to combat desertification
- National Action Plan to Combat Desertification - Formulated 2001, updated 2023
- PM-KSY - watershed component - ridge to valley watershed treatment, runoff harvesting
- ISRO’s Desertification & Land Degradation Atlas
- Aravalli Green Wall Project
- Mission Amrit Sarovar: rejuvenating atleast 75 water bodies per district
- Soil Health Card scheme: optimizing chemical fertilizer application, preventing chemical induced soil degradation
Challenges
- chronic drought financing deficit: $278B annual financing gap
- multilateral treaty resistance among nations over binding financial commitment
- marginalization of open natural ecosystems
- reactive disaster relief cycle