Read Current Affairs
- Why in News?
- The Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD) has issued a new report highlighting the alarming global rise in drought severity.
- Key Provisions:-
- About 40% of Earth’s land now endures increasingly frequent and intense droughts. Recent striking cases include Europe in 2022, California in 2021, and regions like the Horn of Africa and Somalia.
- Economically, drought events now impose a 3–7.5% yearly rise in costs per episode. Nations such as India and Australia risk disruptions to hydropower operations, and inland shipping suffers—as seen with the Panama Canal’s recent low water levels. Crop yields may drop by as much as 22%.
- Environmentally, since 1980, nearly 37% of global land has experienced notable drops in soil moisture, while over 62% of monitored aquifers show declining groundwater levels. According to the World Meteorological Organization (2021), droughts account for around 34% of disaster-related deaths and fuel poverty, inequality, and displacement.
- Key prevention efforts include global initiatives like the UNCCD Drought Initiative and the WMO‑GWP International Drought Management Programme. In India, measures include NADAMS, WDC‑PMKSY, and the Atal Bhujal Yojana.
- Why in News?
- On June 17, marking World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released an updated strategy for the Green India Mission.
- Key Provisions:-
- Launched in 2011, this initiative is one of the eight core missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
- It aims to expand forest and tree cover over 24 million hectares, enhance carbon sequestration, and create an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2030.
- The mission comprises three sub-missions: improving forest quality, expanding green cover, and boosting forest-based livelihoods.
- Funded through a mix of mission allocations and the CAMPA Fund, the 10-year plan (2021–2030) emphasizes community-led action via Joint Forest Management Committees.
- Key strategies include targeting ecologically vulnerable areas, involving the private sector through CSR, leveraging carbon markets, and deploying a trained “Green India Force” of youth for on-ground implementation and asset management.
- Why in News?
- Barak Magen, meaning "Lightning Shield" in Hebrew, is Israel’s cutting-edge defense system designed to protect against threats like Iranian drones.
- Key Provisions:-
- Developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), this advanced naval air defense system is engineered to neutralize a wide range of aerial threats, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, high-trajectory projectiles, and shore-to-sea missiles. It enhances
- Israel’s multi-layered defense architecture, working alongside other key systems such as the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow system, and the Laser Iron Beam. While Barak Magen is an entirely domestic development, some of Israel’s other major defense platforms, notably David’s Sling and the Arrow system, were created through strategic partnerships with the United States. Together, these technologies form an integrated shield, providing Israel with comprehensive protection against both regional and long-range threats. Barak Magen strengthens the country’s maritime and aerial defense capabilities, especially in increasingly contested environments.