DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

Recently, the 1^st edition of IAADB was held at the Red Fort.

• It is a celebration of our country’s diverse heritage and vibrant culture and it will serve as an introduction to the Cultural Space at Delhi.

Aim – To institutionalise a flagship Global Cultural Initiative in India like the International Biennales at Venice, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Sharjah, among others.

Cultural spaces are being built in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Varanasi to enrich these cities culturally.

7 Exhibition themes – Doors of India, Gardens of India, Baolis (step-wells) of India, Temples of India, Architectural Wonders of Independent India, Indigenous Design and Women in Architecture and Design.

• They are designed in both physical and digital forms.

Exhibition curated by

• • The National Gallery of Modern Art
  • The National Council of Science Museums
  • Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
  • Lalit Kala Akademi
  • Council of Architecture
  • The outreach department of the Ministry of Education

Atmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design - A special gallery to provide a platform to promote rare crafts of India which was curated by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts.

• It will pave way for cultural economy by empowering artisan communities with new designs and innovations.

Samunnati – It is a student biennale at Lalit Kala Akademi, to showcase their work and interact with peers & professionals within the architecture community.

The draft text on the Santiago Network has been adopted by the Parties and sent to the Conference of the Parties (COP) of UNFCCC at COP28 in UAE.

• It is a collaborative framework established as part of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage(WIM) under the UNFCCC.
• Aim - To connect vulnerable developing countries with technical support and resources to effectively address and manage loss and damage caused by climate change.
• Genesis
  • At COP19,2013 (Warsaw, Poland) – Proposal to establish
  • At COP25, 2019 (Madrid, Spain) – Establishment
  • At COP26, 2021 (Glassgow, UK) – Decision on functions
  • At COP27, 2022 (Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt) – Adopted terms of references and established advisory body
• Function – To contribute for the effective implementation of the functions of the Warsaw international mechanism.
• Hosts - The United Nations for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and United Nations Office for Project Services have been selected as hosts.

Santiago is the capital of Chile.

International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for government to commit to tripling global renewable capacity by 2030 ahead of COP 28, but some key players have not signed the pledge.

What are the challenges of increasing renewables energy?

• Hydroelectric power- Large dams are difficult to construct due to environmental and regulatory issues.
• Unrealistic goal-Around 57% of hydroelectric power is of renewable energy, but tripling its capacity by 2030 is unlikely.
• Solar power- It is limited by daylight hours, land availability, environmental impacts, and import dependence.
• High cost-Solar panels also need efficient and costly storage solutions to match peak demand and overcome intermittency.
• Import dependency- Amy countries depend on China for solar panels or raw materials, it increases the import costs.
• Wind energy -It is affected by weather conditions, site availability, and material emissions.
• Structural issues- Wind turbines also face the problem of intermittency and require backup or storage solutions to provide stable power.
• To triple renewable energy by 2030 the solar and wind output must increase by at least 5 times.
• Issues with fossil fuel- The COP 28 pledge does not specify reducing fossil fuels, which cause over 80% of greenhouse emissions. The US and other countries still subsidize and use fossil fuels extensively.
• Fund deficit- The transition to renewables requires massive investments, which can burden poorer countries and affect their budgets for essential services.

Despite the challenges, renewable energy capacity has more than doubled globally in the past decade, with costs declining significantly. By 2035, renewable electricity generation is expected to surpass fossil fuel production.

What is India’s stand with respect renewable energy?

• India’s status- India is the 3rd largest energy consuming country in the world.
• As per Renewables 2022 Global Status Report, India stands
  • 4th globally in renewable energy installed capacity
  • 4th in wind power capacity
  • 4th in solar power capacity
• India has already achieved its target of 40% installed electric capacity from non-fossil fuels.
• Renewable energy target- India has set an enhanced target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based energy by 2030, which is the world’s largest expansion plan in renewable energy.
• Carbon neutrality-India has also pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.
• Tripling renewables proposal- India didn’t sign the pledge as a report has found that India would need an investment of about 293 billion dollars to triple its renewable energy installed capacity by 2030.
• Reliance on coal- India is not comfortable with the coal phase out target as it need to focus on poverty reduction and economic growth, hence it did not sign the pledge.

Recently, Union Minister cited that over one-third of India’s coastline is vulnerable to erosion as per the study of National Centre for Coastal Research.

What are the key highlights of the study about India’s coastline?

As much as 32% of India’s coastline underwent sea erosion and 27% of it expanded between 1990 and 2018

• Coastal erosion- It has been noticed in 9 States and 2 Union Territories.
• - The report states that the west coast has relatively been stable with erosion in minor pockets like Kerala. In the west, 48% of the coastline is stable, whereas only 28% of the eastern coast has been deemed stable.

Goa and Maharashtra have the most stable coastlines in the country.

• Accretion- States such as Odisha (51%) and Andhra Pradesh (42%) recorded the maximum gain (The coast is growing) owing to coastline changes.

What is coastal erosion?

• Shoreline retreat- It is the loss of coastal lands due to the net removal of sediments or bedrock from the shoreline.
• Types-

Hydraulic action - This type of erosion is more effective in areas where the rock has many cracks or joints, such as limestone or chalk.

• It can also create features such as blowholes, geysers, and sea caves.

Abrasion- It is also known as corrosion or sandpapering. It can create smooth and polished surfaces on the rock, such as wave-cut platforms.

• It can also erode softer rocks faster than harder ones, creating differential erosion2.

Attrition- This type reduces the size and shape of the rock fragments carried by the waves.

• It can also increase the efficiency of abrasion, as smaller and rounder particles can act as more effective tools for erosion.

Solution- It is also known as corrosion or dissolution. It depends on the chemical composition of the rock and the water.

• Some rocks, such as limestone and chalk, are more soluble than others, such as granite and basalt.
• It can create features such as karst landscapes, sinkholes, and stalactites.

Factors causing coastal erosion?

What are the effects of coastal erosion?

• Land loss- It can have severe implications for coastal communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Valuable agricultural land, residential areas, and tourist destinations can be negatively affected.
• Climate refugees- Erosion can force communities to relocate as their homes and livelihoods are threatened.
• Coastal flooding-As erosion removes natural barriers, such as sand dunes and vegetation, coastal areas become more vulnerable to flooding during storms and high tides.
• Biodiversity loss-Coastal erosion affects coastal ecosystems, including mangroves, coral reefs, and dune systems.
• Economic Impact- It can damage or destroy coastal infrastructure, including roads, buildings, and ports.
• Loss of revenue- It can impact beach tourism and reduced land productivity can also impact local economies.

What are the India's initiatives for coastal management?

Indian coast is about 7500 km long and characterized by varied landforms and ecosystems.

• Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)- It is a study and a planning initiative under World Bank, with the first phase for Enhancing Coastal Ocean Resource Efficiency (ENCORE)
• Society of Integrated Coastal Management- It launches the ICZM under four components.
  • National Coastal Management Program
  • ICZM- West Bengal
  • ICZM- Orissa
  • ICZM- Gujarat
• National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management- It is set up in Chennai to undertake studies and research in the area of Coastal Zone Management including coastal resources and environment.
• National Action Plan on Climate Change- It outlines a strategy that aims to enable the country to adapt to climate change and enhance the ecological sustainability of our development path.
• Coastal Regulation Zone- It is notified by the Ministry of Environment under the ambit of Environment Protection Act 1986, sets guidelines to strike balance between economic growth and environmental conservation.

• Announced by - Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) with Google Cloud India, Antler in India, Paytm, Protean and Startup India.

Aim- To tackle diverse challenges in digital commerce, promoting industry innovation to develop practical solutions in this space.

• The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy has launched 4E Wave Movement recently.
• It is a Student-Led National Movement for Energy Conservation in Jammu & Kashmir.

Aim -To promote sustainable practices and instil a sense of responsibility in individuals and communities to save energy.

• YUVAi is a national program that aims to teach AI skills to students in grades 8–12.

The program is a collaboration between the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and Intel.

• The Zhuque-2 (ZQ-2) is a Chinese medium-sized, 1^st methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit.
• The rocket can carry a payload of up to 1.5 metric tons into a 500-kilometre-orbit.
• The rocket is powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane.

It was launched by China-based private space technology firm LandSpace.

• Operation Storm Makers II was a global operation by Interpol that targeted human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
• The operation targeted criminal networks that exploit migrants for cyber fraud.

The operation involved law enforcement agencies in 27 countries across Asia and other regions.

• A recent study found that electric eels can release enough electricity to genetically modify small fish larvae, which is known as electroporation, a gene delivery technique.
• Electroporation is a technique that uses an electrical field to increase the permeability of cell membranes.
• This allows larger molecules, such as DNA, drugs, and chemicals, to enter the cell.