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- Why in News?
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, has revised India’s GDP growth forecast for 2025-26 to 6.6%, up from the earlier projection of 6.4%, while estimating 6.2% growth for 2026-27. This highlights India’s continued position as one of the fastest-growing major economies globally.
- In contrast, the IMF expects global economic growth to decelerate slightly — from 3.3% in 2024 to 3.2% in 2025, and further to 3.1% in 2026, reflecting persistent geopolitical uncertainties and tight financial conditions.
- Key Provisions:-
- The World Economic Outlook (WEO), published by the IMF, provides detailed analyses, trends, and forecasts for the global economy over the short and medium term. Released twice a year, with interim updates, it serves as a key reference for policymakers and economists worldwide to assess economic stability, growth prospects, and emerging global challenges.
- Why in News?
- The Forest Declaration Assessment Report 2025 warns that the world is far from meeting its goal of ending deforestation by 2030.
- Key Provisions:-
- The report records a loss of 8.1 million hectares of forests in 2024, which is 63% higher than the level required to stay on track. Financial flows remain heavily misaligned, with harmful subsidies exceeding green ones by over 200:1.
- Permanent agriculture accounts for about 86% of deforestation, driven by crops such as oil palm, cacao, nuts, and rubber, while 77% of mines lie within 50 km of key biodiversity areas. Environmental crimes, including illegal logging, generate around $281 billion annually.
- To reverse this trend, the report calls for mandatory regulations, true valuation of forests, and inclusive decision-making involving Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and women. It also reinforces global restoration targets under the Bonn Challenge and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with India pledging to restore 26 million hectares by 2030.
- Why in News?
- Severe rainfall and surging water levels along the Nile River have recently caused widespread flooding and displacement in South Sudan, affecting thousands of residents and disrupting livelihoods.
- Key Provisions:-
- The Nile River, recognized as the world’s longest river, flows through 11 African nations — Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Eritrea. It is formed by the confluence of the White Nile and the Blue Nile at Khartoum, Sudan.
The White Nile originates from Lake Victoria, flowing through Uganda and South Sudan, while the Blue Nile rises from Lake Tana in Ethiopia. Together, they form the mighty Nile, which moves northward through Egypt, finally draining into the Mediterranean Sea. This river remains a lifeline for agriculture, transport, and livelihoods across the region but also poses flood-related challenges during heavy rainfall seasons.