- The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has released a report titled ‘State of the Global Climate 2022’.
What does the report say about sea level rise?
The world’s sea level is rising at an unprecedented rate. The rate of global mean sea-level [GSML] rise has doubled between the first decade of the satellite record and the last.
For instance, the rate of sea-level rise was 2.27 mm/year in 1993-2002, it has increased to 4.62 mm/year in 2013-2022.
The report also says that the earth’s ice cover, known as the cryosphere has thinned.
Note: The cryosphere includes the Arctic and Antarctic regions (called “sea ice”), glaciers, the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica (area of ice on land covering more than 50,000 km2), seasonal snow cover and permafrost (mass of land that remains below 0 degree Celsius for at least two straight years).
- What is the News?
Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group have been involved in a fierce battle against each other in Sudan leaving at least 420 people dead and more than 3,700 wounded.
Sudan is a country in Northeast Africa bordering the Red Sea.
It is bordered by the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Egypt to the north, Eritrea to the northeast, Ethiopia to the southeast, Libya to the northwest, South Sudan to the south and the Red Sea.
It is Africa’s third-largest country by area. Its capital city is Khartoum, and its most populous city is Omdurman (part of the metropolitan area of Khartoum).
The population of Sudan is predominantly Muslim and the country’s official languages are Arabic and English.
What is the cause of conflict in Sudan?
The roots of the ongoing conflict in Sudan go back to April 2019, when Sudan’s long-serving authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown.He was overthrown by military generals following a countrywide uprising against him.
Despite Bashir’s ouster, civilians continued their demonstrations, seeking democratic elections and the establishment of a civilian government.
This led to the constitution of the Sovereignty Council, a power-sharing body of military officers and civilians.This council would lead Sudan to elections at the end of 2023 and Abdalla Hamdok was appointed Prime Minister for the transitional period
However, the military overthrew Hamdok’s government in October 2021.The military announced that it would hold power until elections are held in July 2023.
Soon after this coup, relations between the military and the RSF deteriorated. (RSF was founded by Bashir to crush a rebellion in Darfur that began more than 20 years ago due to the political and economic marginalization of the local people by Sudan’s central government.The RSF has been accused of widespread atrocities).
- The Lesser flamingo is the smallest of all flamingos. They possess the “hallux” or hind toe that some other flamingos do not have. Males are a little taller than females.
They are rare migratory birds from the sub-Saharan region in Africa.
They are found in alkaline lakes and coastal lagoons where they gather in huge flocks to eat microscopic blue-green algae.
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
What is Pulicat Lake?
Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India, (after Chilika Lake).
The lake is located on the border between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
The lake encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary.
The barrier island of Sriharikota separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal.
The rivers Swarnamukhi and Kalangi in the north and the Arani and the Korttalaiyar (as the Kosasthalaiyar is referred to in old British era documents) in the south drain into Pulicat Lake during the monsoon.
- What is the News?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Initiative.
What is Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Initiative?
Launched by: World Health Organization (WHO)
Aim: To be better prepared for future outbreaks of a similar scale and devastation as the COVID-19 pandemic.
– To provide guidance on integrated planning for responding to any respiratory pathogen such as influenza or coronaviruses.
Approach: The three-pronged approach of PRET includes:
– Updating preparedness plans that affirm priority actions
– Increase connectivity among stakeholders in pandemic preparedness planning through systematic coordination and cooperation and dedicate sustained investments and
– Financing and monitoring of pandemic preparedness with a special focus on bridging the lacunes highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- What is Hemis Monastery?
Hemis Monastery is a Buddhist monastery located in Ladakh. It is situated on the western banks of the Indus River.
It belongs to the Red Hat Sect or Drukpa lineage of Buddhism.
The monastery is famous for its 2-day religious ceremony known as the Hemis Festival.
What is Thiksey Monastery?
The Thiksey monastery is located in Thiksey at Ladakh. The monastery is affiliated with the Gelugpa sect or Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism
The monastery is notable for its resemblance to the Potala palace in Lhasa, Tibet and its annual Gustor Festival
- Bluewashing: Report flags how corporates have wormed their way into global food governance
What is the News?
The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems has released a report titled “Who’s tipping the scales”.
The report has highlighted the visible manner in which corporate takeover of food governance systems is taking place.
According to the report, partnerships between corporates and intergovernmental bodies like the UN creates conflicts of interest and allows the corporates to blue-wash or social-wash their reputations.
What is Bluewashing?
Bluewashing refers to a deceptive form of marketing in which an enterprise uses deceptive marketing techniques to overstate its commitment to responsible social practices.
It can be used interchangeably with the term greenwashing but has a greater focus on economic and community factors rather than the environment.
What is the origin of the term bluewashing?
The term bluewashing was first used to refer to companies who signed the United Nations Global Compact and its principles but did not make any actual policy reforms.
