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• 🔆India's Commitment to Biodiversity Conservation

Key Points:
✅Financial Needs: India expects to spend around ₹81,664 crore on biodiversity and conservation from 2025 to 2030.
✅Funding Sources: The government recognizes the need for additional funding sources beyond traditional government expenditure.
✅International Cooperation: India seeks international financial support and technology transfer to meet its conservation goals.
✅Digital Sequence Information (DSI): India supports equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
✅National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBSAP): India's NBSAP outlines the country's strategies and actions for biodiversity conservation.
Analysis:
✅India's commitment to biodiversity conservation is evident in its significant financial investment.
International cooperation and technology transfer are crucial for achieving conservation goals.
✅Addressing the challenges of biodiversity loss requires a multi-pronged approach, including policy interventions, public awareness, and community participation.

UPSC Questions:

✅Prelims: What is the name of the international agreement on biodiversity conservation? 
A) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
B) Ramsar Convention
C) CITES
D) Montreal Protocol

✅Mains:.Discuss the challenges faced by India in conserving its biodiversity. What are the key factors contributing to biodiversity loss, and what measure can be taken to protect India's rich biodiversity?

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🔆COP15: A Disappointing Outcome for Biodiversity Conservation
Key Points:
✅Funding Gap: Wealthy nations have expressed reluctance to provide significant financial support for biodiversity conservation.
✅Private Sector Involvement: There is a growing focus on attracting private sector investment to bridge the funding gap.
✅Failed Targets: The target of mobilizing $200 billion annually by 2030, including $30 billion from developed countries, was not achieved.
✅Climate Change Impact: Climate change exacerbates threats to biodiversity, making conservation efforts more challenging.
✅Global Cooperation: International cooperation is crucial for effective biodiversity conservation, but political and economic factors hinder progress.
✅Analysis: 
The lack of progress at COP15 highlights the challenges in securing adequate funding for biodiversity conservation. The increasing pressure on ecosystems due to human activities necessitates urgent action. International cooperation, innovative financing mechanisms, and sustainable development practices are essential to protect biodiversity and ensure a healthy planet.

UPSC Questions:

✅Prelims: Which international organization is responsible for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)? 
A) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
B) World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
C) International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
D) World Bank

✅Mains: Discuss the challenges faced in global biodiversity conservation. What are the key factors contributing to biodiversity loss, and what strategies can be implemented to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services?

e ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, habitat degradation, and noise pollution.

                                                        TOPIC-3      

🔆Baleen Whales (Mysticetes):

✅They are marine mammals and some of the largest creatures on the Earth. They are known for their haunting songs.
✅They include species such as the blue whale, humpback, right whales, bowhead whales, and others.

✅They are known for their unique feeding mechanism involving baleen plates, a large rack of fine, hair-like keratin used to filter out small krill from the water.
✅Different species of baleen whales differ in the shape of the baleen and the fineness of the fringe.
✅It reflects different feeding styles and food types:
🔸Short baleen plates with a coarse fringe describes a fish-eating whale;
🔸Long plates with a fine, silky fringe allow others to hunt smaller animals such as zooplankton.
✅Conservation Status:
🔸Red List of Threatened Species of IUCN:
✅Critically Endangered: North Atlantic Right Whale
✅Endangered: Blue Whale; North Pacific Right Whale
✅Least Concern: Humpback Whale; Bowhead Whale
✅Threats to these majestic creatures include ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, habitat degradation, and noise pollution.

#species
#prelims