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Bhuvan Ganga Mobile Application launched to aid National Mission
for Clean Ganga
To aid National Mission for Clean Ganga, the Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on 23 June
2015 launched Bhuvan Ganga mobile application and a web portal.
The app will allow people to upload pictures of pollution sources of river Ganga for further action by the
concerned authorities.
The application and web portal was launched after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed
between the National Mission for Clean Ganga and the National Remote Sensing Centre (ISRO).
Purpose of the user-friendly Bhuvan Mobile App and Portal
• The android based app will help in monitoring Union Government’s flagship Clean Ganga Mission.
• It will be used as a tool to support decision making and planning for the Clean Ganga Mission.
• It will enable public to collect and report information on various pollution sources that affects the water
quality of river Ganga.
Bhuvan Ganga Portal is an exclusive web portal deployed in ISRO Bhuvan’s geoportal with all geospatial
layers related to river Ganga.
The first version of the app is available for download in the Bhuvan Ganga web portal
(http://bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in/ganga).
Typhoon Kujira struck south China's Hainan Province
Typhoon Kujira struck China on 22 June 2015. The typhoon made its landfall in south China’s Hainan
province with heavy rain in the drought hit island. It also carried packing winds of up to 90 kilometers per
hour.
Critically endangered Sangai deer found in Manipur’s Loktak Lake
to be translocated
Manipur Forest Department in the third week of June 2015 decided to translocate a section of rare and
critically endangered species of Brow Antlered deer known as Sangai. It will be shifted with an aim to save
it from extinction.
The deer found only in Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), a floating biomass in Manipur's Loktak
Lake, will be shifted to Pumlen Pat, which is close to Loktak. KLNP is the only floating national park in the
world.
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Northern Railway rolled out India’s first rail coach lit by solar panels
The Delhi division of the Northern Railway on 3 June 2015 rolled out a non-AC coach lit by solar panels
mounted on its roof.
The eco-friendly solar panels will save fossil fuel as it needs reduced external charging of battery, thus
reducing carbon foot print. The panels also require less maintenance in comparison to existing equipments.
This is the first time in the history of Indian Railways, that a solar photovoltaic system has been used for
power requirements of light and fan in a broad gauge coach.
The coach, on an experimental basis, was attached to a high speed Self Propelled-Accident Relief Unit
(SPART) that travelled from Delhi Cantonment to New Delhi railway station.
Environmental Democracy Index 2015 released; India at 24th
position
Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Access Initiative on 20 May 2015 released the
first Environmental Democracy Index (EDI) for the year 2015. The index evaluates the environmental
democracy in 70 countries based on recognised international standards.
The index evaluates whether Governments are enacting national laws to promote transparency,
accountability, and citizen engagement in environmental decision making. It is assessed and analysed by
more than 140 international lawyers and experts.
India was ranked at 24th position out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index that is
topped by Lithuania at the first position, Latvia at the second and Russia at the third position.
Highlights of the Environmental Democracy Index
• 79 percent of countries assessed earned only fair or poor ratings for public participation adding that many
nations lag on providing citizens basic environmental information.
• Nearly half (46 percent) of the countries do not provide any ambient air quality data online for their capital
cities.
• In 73 percent of the countries, courts hear environmental cases. But very few countries have assistance for
marginalized groups.
• Around 64 percent of countries with laws on the books do not release any information to the public on
emissions or wastewater discharges, pollutants that can impact human health and the environment.
• Only 14 percent of the countries have legal mechanisms that help women access courts to obtain redress
when their environmental rights are violated.
• The index found that wealth is an important facilitator for environmental democracy, as is being a
signatory of a major treaty like the Kyoto Protocol or the Aarhus convention.
• Right to environmental information has been established in the 93 percent of the assessed countries.
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About Environmental Democracy Index
The Environmental Democracy Index (EDI) is the first comprehensive index designed specifically to
measure procedural rights in an environmental context.
The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Bali Guidelines for the Development of National
Legislation on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters
provide EDI with an international standard against which national laws can be assessed.
New Catfish Species Glyptothorax Senapatiensis discovered in Manipur
The Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered a new species of catfish named
Glyptothorax senapatiensis in the Chindwin river drainage in Senapati district of Manipur. The discovery
was published in the Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters journal in March 2015.
The discovery was published in the research paper titled Glyptothorax senapatiensis, a new species of
catfish from Manipur, India. The lead authors of the research paper are Kosygin, Nongthombam
Premananda and Bano Saidullah.
The people of the Chindwin river drainage region used to have this 6 cm long freshwater fish as food. They
called this fish as Ngapang.
About Glyptothorax senapatiensis
• It is edible fish with high nutritional value and has high oil content.
• It has thoracic adhesive apparatus with U-shaped median depression opening caudally that helps the fish
to cling on rocky riverbed in mountains against strong currents.
• It is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters: deep body, deep caudal peduncle,
narrow head, short dorsalfin spine and short pectoral-fin.
• It has nasal barbell extending to middle of orbit; skin on head and body densely tuberculate.
Opah, the world’s first fully warm-blooded fish species, discovered by
researchers
Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) discovered the world’s
first fully warm-blooded fish species named Opah. These fishes are found in the deep waters off the US,
Australia and several other countries.
The finding of the researchers was published on 15 May 2015 in the journal Science.
How the Opah conserves its warmth?
According to the finding, the Opah fish has developed an internal heat exchange system within its gills to
conserve the warmth and it raises its temperature by flapping its fins.
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This adaptation means warm blood that leaves the opah’s body core helps heat cold blood returning from
the surface of the gills where it absorbs oxygen, maintaining an average body temperature of about 4 degree
Celsius to 5 degree Celsius.
This system is more akin to a car radiator and is similar to that used by mammals and birds, which are
known as endotherms for their ability to maintain body temperature independent of the environment.
While tuna and some sharks can warm certain parts of their bodies, such as their brains and eyes, fish are
generally classed among cold-blooded animals, known as ectotherms.
Characteristics of Opah fish
• Opahs are more effective predators by virtue of being a warm-blooded species.
• It swims faster, reacts more quickly and sees more sharply than the other marine life
• It can dwell 50 meter to 400 meter underwater.
• It can weigh up to 90kg and are oval-shaped roughly the size of a car tyre.
• It has fatty deposits around the gills, heart and muscle tissue in order to provide insulation from the cold
water.
Union Cabinet Approved Namami Gange programme under National Ganga
River Basin Authority (NGRBA)
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 13 May 2015 gave its nod for
implementation of Namami Gange programme (NGP).
The programme will be operational under the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).
Key Features of Namami Gange Programme (NGP)
• It is an Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission in the sense that it tries to integrate the efforts to clean and
protect the Ganga river in a comprehensive manner and will result in socio-economic benefits in terms of
job creation, improved livelihoods and health benefits to the vast population that is dependent on the river.
• Its focus is on pollution abatement interventions namely Interception, diversion and treatment of
wastewater flowing through the open drains through bio-remediation or appropriate in-situ treatment or use
of innovative technologies such as sewage treatment plants (STPs) or effluent treatment plant (ETPs).
• It has a budget outlay of 20000 crore rupees for 2015-20. This is a significant four-fold increase over the
expenditure in the past 30 years as the Union Government incurred an overall expenditure of approximately
4000 crore rupees on this task since 1985.
• The Union Government will sanction 100 percent funding for various activities or projects under this
program and the operation and maintenance of the assets will be for a minimum period of 10 years.
• It would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart
organizations that is State Program Management Groups (SPMGs).
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• A three-tier mechanism will be established for project monitoring viz., A high level task force chaired by
the Union Cabinet Secretary assisted by NMCG at national level, State level committee chaired by Chief
Secretary assisted by SPMG at state level and District level committee chaired by the District Magistrate.
• It emphasizes on improved coordination mechanisms between various Ministries or Agencies of the Union
and State governments and will involve the States and grassroots level institutions such as Urban Local
Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and people living on the banks of the river in implementation
to attain sustainable results.
• It adopts a PPP (Public Private Partnership) or Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) approach for pollution
hotspots.
• A 4-battalion Ganga Eco-Task Force, a Territorial Army unit, will be set up to bolster enforcement.
NGT imposed monthly tax on all households in Delhi
National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 8 May 2015 ordered that every household in Delhi will have to pay a
monthly environmental compensation to clean up Yamuna River.
According to the direction, the compensation to be paid will be directly proportional to the property or
water tax whichever is higher, paid by a particular household. In case of unauthorized colonies households
that do not pay property tax or water bill will have to pay an amount that would be between 100 rupees to
500 rupees.
The decision was made by the NGT bench headed by its chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar on a petition
of environmental activist, Manoj Misra against severe pollution in Yamuna River.
This amount would be added to electricity bills, water bill or the property tax by the respective departments
which will transfer the money to Delhi government. The amount collected through the compensation will be
utilized to set up new sewage treatment plants and provide other technology to clean up river Yamuna.
Calbuco volcano of Chile erupted after 42 years
Calbuco volcano of Chile erupted twice on 22 April and 23 April 2015 after 42 years. Tonnes of ash rained
down following two volcanic eruptions leading to declaration of state of emergency by President Michelle
Bachelet.
When it first erupted on 22 April 2015, it produced a column of ash extending to more than 49000 feet into
the sky. The scientists called for an evacuation zone of 12.5 miles.
Turrialba Volcano erupted in Costa Rica
Turrialba volcano in Costa Rica erupted on 24 April 2015. The eruption led to rise of a column of gas and
ash in the sky and forced closure of the airport in the capital city San Jose.
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The blast from the Turrialba volcano in the east of the Central American country came after the Calbuco
volcano in Chile erupted twice on 22 April and 24 April 2015.
Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand declared as India's 48th Tiger Reserve
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on 21 April 2015 accorded final approval to Rajaji National
Park, Uttarakhand as India's 48th Tiger Reserve. With this notification, Uttarakhand got its second tiger reserve
after
the
Corbett
Tiger
Reserve.
The notification was announced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat while releasing logo of the Rajaji
Tiger
Reserve.
The Rajaji National Park that came into existence in 1983 is spread across three districts of Uttarakhand namely
Haridwar,
Dehradun
and
Pauri
Garhwal
in
an
area
over
820
square
km.
The park is a home to 315 bird species, 40 species of reptiles and fish and 400 Asian elephants.
Thane named as National Earth Hour Capital 2015 by WWF
Thane in Mumbai, Maharashtra was named as the National Earth Hour Capital 2015 on 9 April 2015. It was
named so after it emerged as winner among the three finalists from India viz., Thane, Rajkot and Pune, in
the Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC) 2015 conducted by World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
For its city mobility plan and solar and waste-to-energy initiatives, Pune received a special mention from
the jury. Rajkot was felicitated for the city’s performance in the field of renewable energy.
Actions of Thane city administration that helped Thane to be named as the National Earth Hour Capital
2015 includes
• Mandatory use of solar water-heating systems for municipal buildings
• Solutions such as wind-solar hybrid systems
• Use of solar energy for lighting and air-conditioning
• Cities plan for solar rooftop net metering-based power generation and regular energy audits
• Energy Service Company (ESCO) project like
a) Energy-efficient street lighting
b) Commissioning of a bio-methanation plant to treat municipal solid waste and generate electricity
c) Three cyclic switching units for optimal use of streetlights
The 2015 Earth Hour Challenge saw the participation of thirteen Indian cities.
In 2014, Coimbatore was selected as the National Earth Hour Capital.
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Seoul won WWF’s Earth Hour City Challenge to become the Global Earth
Hour Capital 2015
Seoul city, the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea, on 9 April 2015 was awarded the title of
Global Earth hour Capital 2015 after it won the Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC) of World Wildlife Fund
(WWF). The challenge saw the participation of 163 cities from 16 countries.
The award ceremony was held in Seoul, South Korea.
The city of Balikpapan, Indonesia was recognized as the Most Loveable City for 2015 and Thane city was
named as the National Earth Hour Capital 2015 of India.
Seoul was chosen as the winner by EHCC jury of international experts for its comprehensive approach to
tackle climate change and its determination to ramp up use of renewable energy. Seoul’s approach to
radically reduce emissions includes
• Allocation of a realistic budget for increasing the use of solar power by residents
• Reduction of transport emissions through greener fuels
• Building more bus lanes and car sharing programs
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 million tons Seoul has started an ambitious initiative under
which by 2020 it will achieve 20 percent electricity self-reliance.
Union Government to re-classify industries in a three-coloured scheme based
on pollution potential
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 7 April 2015 proposed a colour-coded
system to re-classify industries based on pollution potential. As per the proposal, the industries will be reclassified under three-coloured scheme, viz., Red, Orange and Green.
The proposal was part of the resolution adopted at the two-day State Environment and Forest Ministers'
Conference at which measures to amend regulations to improve ease-of-doing business while protecting the
environment was discussed.
Proposed colour-coded scheme
• Red Category: Industrial sectors with a score of 60 and more
• Orange Category: Industrial sectors with a score between 30 to 59
• Green Category: Industrial sectors with a score between 15 to 29
Industrial sectors scoring below 15 will be considered as white as they are environment friendly.
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New renewal system for industries
Further, it is proposed to scrap the present system of annual renewal of certification for industries and
replace it with a scheme that ties in with the colour-coded categories. Thus, as per the new renewal system:
• Industrial sectors falling under Red category will be given consent to operate with the validity period of
five years
• Industrial sectors falling under Orange category will be given consent to operate for ten years
• Industrial sectors falling under Green category will be given a onetime consent
Apart from this, the individual units’ operative under this colour-coded scheme in various sectors will earn
stars for compliance with environmental norms.
The two-day conference, which was participated by 30 ministers from different state looked upon a wide
range of issues like waste to wealth, ease of doing business, TSR Subramanian committee
recommendations, forest, wildlife, pollution-related issues, biodiversity and climate change.
Scientists discovered an endangered species of plant named Oldenlandia
dineshi from Western Ghats
Scientists from four research institutions in Kerala discovered a rare species of plant named Oldenlandia
dineshi from Palakkad region of Western Ghats. The discovery of the shrub was published in the Kew
Bulletin on 19 March 2015.
The scientists came across the plant in a quarry during an exploration of the Nenmara region south of
Palakkad in the valley of the Nelliyampathy hills.
Based on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria, the researchers have classified
Oldenlandia dineshii as an endangered species.
The plant species named Oldenlandia dineshi is a shrub with long linear tapering leaves and dark blue
flower. The flowering period is from July to September and fruiting from September to October.
The species has been named in honour of TK Dinesh Kumar, former Professor of Botany, University
College, Thiruvananthapuram.
The genus Oldenlandia comprises about 248 species of which 27 have been reported from India is mainly
distributed in the southern parts of the Western Ghats and North and North-East India. Among these, 12
species and one variety have been recorded from various locations in Kerala.
Several species of the Oldenlandia family are widely used in Ayurveda for preparation of formulations such
as Chyawanaprasam.
The scientists highlighting the floral diversity in the region and triggered the demand for strict curbs on
quarrying in biodiversity pockets.
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Narendra Modi launched National Air Quality index to monitor pollution level
in 10 cities
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 April 2015 launched a National Air Quality Index (NAQI) to tackle the
menace of air pollution. This National Air Quality Index will provide information on the quality of air in 10
major cities in the country on a real-time basis.
The ten cities where the quality of air can be monitored are Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi,
Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
Later the index will be extended to 22 State capitals and 44 other cities with a population exceeding one
million.
The index was launched before the inauguration of the Conference of State Environment and Forest
Ministers in New Delhi. The conference is being attended by state environment and forest ministers.
The national conference aims at consulting states on making changes in existing laws that govern
environment and forest clearances.
NASA Launched its first earth satellite Soil Moisture Active Passive
NASA on 31 January 2015 successfully launched its first Earth satellite Soil Moisture Active Passive
(SMAP). The satellite is designed to collect global observations of the vital soil moisture.
The satellite was lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on a United Launch Alliance Delta
II rocket.
The satellite is built to measure moisture in the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) of soil from its spot in orbit
about 426 miles (685 kilometers) above Earth's surface, completing an orbit once every 98.5 minutes.
The SMAP is equipped with a 20 feet (6 meters) mesh antenna which is the largest of its kind that NASA
has ever flown in space. SMAP's antenna is designed to spin at about 14.6 revolutions per minute while
mounted to the end of a long arm on the satellite's body.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California will manage SMAP for NASA's Science
Mission Directorate in Washington, with instrument hardware and science contributions made by NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Importance of SMAP
The satellite is designed to measure the moisture of Earth's dirt more accurately than ever before. The probe
will make a global map of the planet's soil moisture levels every three days.
It can help scientists create more accurate weather models, learn more about drought conditions and even
predict floods.
In addition, since plant growth depends on the amount of water in the soil, SMAP data will allow nations to
better forecast crop yields and assist in global famine early-warning systems.
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NTCA released report on Status of Tigers in India, 2014
The latest report on Status of Tigers in India, 2014 showed 30 percent increase in tiger population to 2226
from 1706 in 2010. India now has 70 per cent of the tiger population in the world. The report was released
by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The largest increase was recorded in the Western Ghats Landscape complex comprising Kerala, Karnataka,
Goa and Tamil Nadu with 776 tigers (up from 402 in 2006).
In 2006, the number of tigers in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka were 76, 46 and 290 respectively. In
2014, the number of tiger increased to 229, 136 and 406 in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka respectively.
The Mudumalai-Bandipur-Nagarahole-Wayanad complex holds the world’s single largest tiger population
currently estimated at over 570 tigers.
Goa now has a persistent tiger presence with three to five animals. The tiger population had increased in
Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Odisha reported a fall in number.
The population had increased at the rate of six per cent per annum in India from 2006 while the world lost
97 per cent tigers in the last 50 years in 13 countries. The main reasons for this increase were effective
tackling of poaching, and the positive attitude of the wildlife services.
The latest round of assessment used state-of-the art technology of double sampling, using camera traps to
estimate the assessment and distribution of tigers in 47 reserves in 18 States.
Rare plant species Chlorophytum palghatense found in Palakkad district of
Kerala
The Scientists at the Centre for Medicinal Plants Research, Kottakkal in Kerala discovered a rare plant
species named Chlorophytum palghatense at the Dhoni hills in Palakkad district of Kerala. The findings
were published in the journal Phytotaxa on 17 December 2014.
The researchers led by scientist Konickal Mambetta Prabhu Kumar came across this new species in the
grasslands of the Palamala hills in the Dhoni mountain range during an expedition to study the floristic
diversity of the high mountains in the southern regions of the Western Ghats.
Besides, another team of scientists from the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi also found the this
species of plant in the Elival hills of Muthikulam in Palakkad.
About Chlorophytum palghatense
• The plant belongs to the genus Chlorophytum of the Asparagaceae family. The Chlorophytum genus is
represented by 17 species in India, of which 15 occur in the Western Ghats.
• It was named Chlorophytum palghatense after the place of discovery- Palakkad district of Kerala.
• The plant is a perennial herb endemic to the grassland ecosystem of the Dhoni and Muthikulam forests at
a height above 6000 feet.
• The plant flowers and fruits from September to November.
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• The plant shows affinities with C. sharmae that is widespread in Munnar, but shows many morphological
differences.
Lima Call for Climate Action put world on track to New Universal Climate
Agreement
Lima Call for Climate Action issued on 14 December 2014 put the world on track to new universal climate
agreement.
The Lima Accord was issued at the conclusion of the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP)
and the 10th session of Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol
(CMP) held in Lima, Peru 1 December 2014 to 14 December 2014.
The member nations participating at the Lima Climate Conference for the first time agreed that nations,
large and small, developed and developing each will make pledges aimed at cutting global greenhouse gas
emissions.
The President of 20th CoP was Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, the Minister of the Environment of Peru and more
than 190 nations participated at the Lima Climate Conference. The Indian side was represented by Prakash
Javadekar, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Main highlights of the Lima Call for Climate Action
Principle of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC): It will form the foundation for climate
action post 2020 when the new agreement is set to come into effect.
Pledges towards Green Climate Fund: As part of this, pledges were made to the Green Climate Fund in
Lima by the governments of Norway, Australia, Belgium, Peru, Colombia and Austria--the pledges brought
the total sum pledged to the Green Climate Fund to close to 10.2 billion US dollar.
In a further boost to the adaptation ambitions of developing countries, Germany made a pledge of 55
million Euros to the Adaptation Fund. China also announced 10 million US Dollar for South-South
cooperation and mentioned they would double it till 2015.
Nazca Climate Action Portal: The portal was launched as part of Lima Climate Action Agenda by the
Government of Peru with support from the UNFCCC. The portal is designed to inject additional momentum
into the process through to Paris by demonstrating the wealth of non-state action.
Forests and the Lima Information Hub for REDD +: The portal named the was announced by the COP
President to provide an information hub on the UNFCCC web site, spotlighting actions by countries
carrying out REDD+ activities.
Lima Ministerial Declaration on Education and Awareness-raising: It is aimed at developing education
strategies that incorporate the issue of climate change while also raising awareness on climate change in the
design and implementation of national development and climate change strategies.
Lima-Paris Action Agenda: The governments of Peru and France launched to catalyze action on climate
change, to further increase ambition before 2020 and support the 2015 agreement. Building on the UN
Climate Summit in September 2014, the agenda is designed to galvanize national, city and private sector
action.
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Multilateral Assessment: A new process launched that saw several industrialized countries submitting
themselves to questioning about their emissions targets. This will increase the levels of transparency and
confidence-building. The launch of this process marks an historic milestone in the implementation of the
Measurement, Reporting and Verification of emission reductions under the UNFCCC
Lima Work Programme on Gender: The programme aims to advance gender balance and to promote gender
sensitivity in developing and implementing climate policy.
UNFCCC’s Technology Mechanism: It was further strengthened through the consideration of a link to the
Green Climate Fund and the UNFCCC Finance mechanism.
Kyoto Protocol Doha Amendment: Nauru and Tuvalu submitted their instrument of acceptance to the Doha
amendment, bringing the number of Parties to 21. 144 Parties need to accept it to bring it into force.
Lima Adaptation Knowledge initiative: It is a pilot project in the Andes under the Nairobi Work
Programme which underlines that adaptive needs of the communities can be successfully established.
National Adaptation Plans (NAPs): It will now be made more visible via the UNFCCC website which
should improve the opportunity for receiving backing. The President of 20th COP, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal,
launched a NAP Global Network involving Peru, the US, Germany, the Philippines, Togo, the UK,
Jamaica, and Japan.
Conclusion
The Lima accord will serve as an outline text for 21st CoP scheduled to be held in December 2015 in Paris,
where world leaders are expected to finalize and sign an international climate deal. The U.N. has targeted
2015 for such a deal, which would then go into effect in 2020.
UNEP released the First Adaptation Gap Report
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on 5 December 2014 released the first Adaptation
Gap Report. The Report was released during a crucial round of climate talks in Lima, Peru.
The Adaptation Gap Report serves as a preliminary assessment of global adaptation gaps in finance,
technology and knowledge. It lays out a framework for future work on bridging these gaps.
The report says that even if global greenhouse gas emissions are cut to the level required to keep global
temperature rise below 2°C this century, still the cost of climate change adaptation in developing countries
is likely to reach two to three times the previous estimates of 70-100 billion US dollars per year by 2050.
Highlights of the first Adaptation Gap Report
Despite adaptation funding reaching 23 billion-26 billion US dollars in 2012-2013, there will be a
significant funding gap after 2020 unless new and additional finance for adaptation is made available.
Without further action on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the cost of adaptation will rise even further as
more-expensive action is needed to protect communities from the intensifying impacts of climate change.
The report provides a reminder that the potential cost of inaction carries a price tag. It finds that the earlier
figures are likely to be a significant underestimate.
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Extending the analysis to all developing countries indicates a chance that adaptation costs could climb as
high as 150 billion US dollars by 2025/2030 and 250 billion-500 billion US dollars per year by 2050. These
costs are based on the assumption that wide-ranging action is taken to cut emissions.
The Report also highlights that Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States are likely to
have far greater adaptation needs as without early efforts, the existing adaptation gap will widen.
Financial Gap
• There is evidence that financial commitments to adaptation objectives have increased in recent years, but
scaling up financial flows to adaptation remains a priority.
• Private-sector funding is not systematically tracked. For this reason, estimates of adaptation finance flows
are underestimated.
• The additional revenue can be raised from the international auctioning of emissions allowances and the
auctioning of allowances in domestic emissions trading schemes, revenues from international transportation
and financial transaction taxes.
• The estimates show that 26 billion-115 billion US dollars can be raised by 2020, while 70 billion-220
billion US dollars can be raised by 2050, depending on the level of climate change mitigation efforts put in
place.
Technological gap
• The report highlights that there is a need to accelerate the propagation and international transfer of
technologies for adaptation many of which already exist. This requires governments to remove barriers to
technology uptake.
• The report looks at scientifically developed seeds which can be used to sustain agriculture within the
context of a changing climate critical for most African countries.
• For instance, in Madagascar, rice varieties that mature in four months have been introduced. These rice
varieties stand a greater chance of reaching maturity before the height of the cyclone season.
Knowledge gap
• The report also points to considerable opportunities for using existing knowledge on climate change and
adaptation more effectively.
• For many regions and countries, there is a lack of systematic identification and analysis of adaptation
knowledge gaps.
• Integrating and interpreting scientific evidence from different sources and making it available to decision
makers at all levels is one of the most important knowledge needs today.
• The report recommends that consideration of knowledge gaps be integrated more explicitly in project to
ensure that the knowledge produced responds better to user needs.
• The report also suggests that a repository of adaptation options can play a pivotal role in informing
development decisions.
MENTOR, SCO 40-41, FIRST FLOOR, LEELA BHAWAN, PATIALA.
Ph. 9780505391