Focus: GS-II Environment and Ecology
Why in news?
At the States Forest Minister’s Conference, the Union Environment Minister said that “Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) is focused on enhancing forest quality and increasing tree cover for maximizing carbon stock”.
Initiatives highlighted
- Promoting urban forestry through Nagar Van Scheme with the objective of creating forested area in cities with Municipal Corporation, which will act as lungs of the cities
- LiDAR based survey of degraded forest areas for soil moisture conservation projects
- National Transit Portal to facilitate smooth movement of Forest produce
- The government will launch a holistic Project Dolphin for the conservation and protection of dolphins and the aquatic habitat through use of modern technology specially in enumeration and anti-poaching activities
- The government is working towards the Project Lion, which involves conservation of the Asiatic Lion and its landscape in a holistic manner while also addressing Human-wildlife conflict
- School Nursery scheme which aims at involving school students from the young age in nursery and plantation operations
- Landscape based catchment treatment of 13 major rivers
