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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 09 December, 2022

  • 5 Min Read

The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef

  • Recently, a joint report by the IUCN and UNESCO's World Heritage Centre recommended that the Great Barrier Reef be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger, which Australia has opposed.
  • The reef is not currently listed as endangered.

What is the Great Barrier Reef?

  • It is located in Australia, off the coast of Queensland.
  • With over 2,900 individual reefs, 900 islands, and an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres, it is the world's largest coral reef system.
  • It is one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots as well as one of its largest carbon sinks.
  • It is managed as a multi-use zone, with a variety of commercial and tourism activities permitted.

What does the IUCN-WHC report say?

  • It is adversely and significantly impacted by climate change factors affecting its resilience to sustain and regenerate itself.
  • Frequent bleaching events have made many reefs sterile.
  • Degraded water quality poses a particular threat to marine life and corals.
  • Pollutants from agricultural and construction activities have been damaging and other proposed developments around the Queensland coast are matters of concern.

What does putting GBR on the List of World Heritage in Danger entail?

  • The List of World Heritage in Danger is designed to inform the international community of conditions which threaten the characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List and to encourage corrective action.
  • Under the 1972 World Heritage Convention: inscribing a site on the List allows the WHC to allocate immediate assistance from the World Heritage Fund to the endangered property.
  • It will invite greater scrutiny of the site.

Source: The Economic Times


Formation Day

On 1st November, eight Indian states—Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu—along with five Union Territories—Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Delhi, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry—celebrate their Formation Day. This date marks an important milestone in India

Turtle (Kachhua) Wildlife Sanctuary

The Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as the Kachhua Sanctuary, is located in the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh. It is recognised as India’s first freshwater turtle wildlife sanctuary, established to conserve endangered turtle species and support the ecological health of the Ganga River. Location and Extent The sanctuary co

Introduction of AI and Computational Thinking (CT) in

The Ministry of Education plans to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computational Thinking (CT) from Class 3 onwards in the 2026–27 academic year. This initiative is part of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 and aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The aim is to prepare student

Sal Tree

Scientists from the Environment Department of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) in Shimla have recently revealed that the Sal tree (Shorea robusta) is the most effective natural air purifier for combating rising pollution levels. Their findings highlight the tree’s superior capacity to trap dust, absorb gases, and cleanse the air compared

US Resumes Nuclear Weapon Testing

The President of the United States has ordered the resumption of nuclear weapon testing after a gap of 33 years, the last test being in 1992. This decision marks a significant shift in global nuclear policy and has far-reaching implications for geopolitics, the environment, and international security. Status of Global Nuclear Weapon Testing

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03 Dec,2025

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