Environmental news

CMS COP14

Why in News

The 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) for the Convention of Migratory Species (CMS) began on 

February 12, 2024 Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

 COP 2024

 Theme: "Nature knows no borders

 Logo: a winged snow leopard

CMS

 Signed in 1979, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn 

Convention; CMS)

 Under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme.

 A platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats.

 CMS is the only global and UN-based intergovernmental organization established exclusively for 

the conservation and management of terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout 

their range.

 Consist of - Appendix I of the Convention lists ‘Threatened Migratory Species’, Appendix II lists 

‘Migratory Species requiring international cooperation’.

 India has been a party to the CMS since 1983.

 India has non-legally binding MoUs with the CMS on the conservation and management of Siberian 

Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008) and Raptors (2016).

1.GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD

Why in News

“Wildlife authorities have not spotted it for the last couple of years at the Rollapadu Bird Sanctuary 

(Andhra Pradesh).”

 Conservation Status:

 Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

 Protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

 Included in Appendix I of CITES and the CMS Convention.

 Identifi ed in the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) 

 Distribution: Rajasthan and Gujarat. Smaller populations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra 

Pradesh.

 Habitat: Bustards prefer fl at, open landscapes with little obstruction, thriving in grasslands.During the non-breeding season, they inhabit wide agro-grass scrub areas. In the breeding 

season, they gather in undisturbed grassland patches with sparse tall grass (below 50 cm), 

avoiding taller grasses and dense thickets.

 Breeding: mostly during the monsoon season

 They feed on grass seeds, insects like grasshoppers and beetles, and sometimes even small rodents 

and reptiles.

 Threats: hunting and poaching, widespread agricultural expansion and mechanized farming, 

infrastructural development. 

 In 2018, the MoEFCC, Rajasthan Forest Department, and WII signed an agreement to initiate 

conservation breeding of the GIB and protect its population, with the International Fund for Houbara 

Conservation (IFHC) in Abu Dhabi as a technical partner.                                  2.WAYANAND

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“Rising human-animal confl ict”

 Wayanad is the only plateau in Kerala. 

 The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, the southern portion of Deccan 

Plateau which links the Western Ghats with the Eastern Ghats. 

 The forest of Wayanad is a part of a greater forested area comprising the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, 

Bandipur National Park, and the BR Tiger Reserve in Karnataka ,and Sathyamangalam forest in 

Tamilnadu.

 Invasive species - lantana, mikania and senna

 Alien plants — mainly acacia, mangium and eucalyptu(Water Intensive).       3.GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK FUND

Why in News

“The fi rst council meeting of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) took place recently in 

Washington DC, United States.”

 Ratifi ed and launched at the 7th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility in Vancouver, 1991, 

Canada. 

 The framework was adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention 

on Biological Diversity in 2022

 It will help countries to achieve the 23 targets set under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity 

Framework (KMGBF).

 Implementing Agency: Global Environment Facility (GEF)

 The GBF Fund Council will be open to representation by the following members,

 16 Members from developing countries

 14 Members from developed countries

 2 Members from the countries of central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.                                                4.HORSESHOE CRAB

Why in News

“Environmental groups are asking the U.S. government to classify the American horseshoe crab as 

an endangered species.”

 Classifi ed not as true crabs but as marine arthropods most closely related to spiders and scorpions.

 These are spine-tailed sea creatures Sea, which resemble the shape of a horseshoe

 Have been around since before the dinosaurs, are facing threats from overharvesting, habitat loss, 

and climate change. 

 Crucial to the ecosystem because their larvae and eggs are food for other marine species, such as 

the rufa red knot bird. 

 Being harvested for their blue blood, used in the biomedical industry, and as bait in fi sheries. 

 Their habitats are being destroyed by coastal development and the eff ects of climate change, 

leading to more frequent mass die-off s.

 Synthetic alternatives are available for the crab’s blood, which are already in use in Europe, to 

reduce the demand on live crab