Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Civil society groups and conservationists in Assam have urged declaring the Roumari-Donduwa Wetland Complex within Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary as a Ramsar Site due to its rich avian biodiversity. Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary lies on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River in Nagaon District, Assam. The sanctuary forms part of the Laokhowa–Burachapori ecosystem and serves as a buffer zone of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. It is situated within the Brahmaputra Valley and is surrounded by human settlements except to the north.

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The Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change recently launched the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change at COP30. The initiative was first announced at the G20 Leaders Summit 2024 as a multilateral effort among countries and global organisations. It aims to fund research and actions that promote truthful and reliable information on climate issues. A Global Fund for Information Integrity on Climate Change has also been launched. The Declaration states that climate misinformation has become a climate crisis. It defines climate misinformation as false or misleading content about climate change, its causes, impacts, or solutions

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Recently, the Assam State Zoo team reported the first case of albinism in the checkered keelback, also called the Asian water snake. The checkered keelback is a medium-sized non-venomous snake native to Asia. It is widely found across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It lives in freshwater habitats like ponds, marshes, and rice fields. It is listed as Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

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Researchers recently confirmed a new species called Lycodon irwini, a glossy-black wolf snake from Great Nicobar Island, giving fresh importance to India’s biodiversity studies. It was discovered on the remote southern tip of the Nicobar Islands and belongs to the Lycodon subcinctus group. It is named after Australian conservationist Stephen Robert Irwin. It stayed unidentified for years because it closely resembled a widespread species. It has a uniform glossy-black colour, unlike relatives with white bands.

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A nest of the Rock Eagle Owl led the Telangana Forest Department to stop quarrying for over one month to protect the species. It is also called the Indian eagle-owl or Bengal eagle-owl. It is a large horned owl found in hilly scrub forests and rocky areas. The bird is brown-grey with a white throat patch and black stripes. It is mainly found in South Asian countries like India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Its status is Least Concern under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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Tamil Nadu has launched one of India’s largest invasive-species eradication campaigns to completely eliminate Senna spectabilis from all forest divisions by March 2026. Senna spectabilis is a fast-growing yellow-flowering tree from the legume family (Fabaceae), originally planted for ornamentation and shade but now categorised as a highly invasive alien species. The species is native to South and Central America, including Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, and Venezuela, but has aggressively spread across India. In India, it has heavily invaded forest landscapes in the Nilgiris, Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam, Anaikatty, and other parts of the Western Ghats, threatening native biodiversity.

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The Union Environment Ministry reconstituted the Delhi Ridge Management Board (DRMB) with statutory powers under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, as directed by the Supreme Court of India. DRMB replaces the 1995 board and becomes the single authority to give permissions, remove encroachments, and oversee afforestation in the 7,777-hectare Delhi Ridge. The statutory status strengthens enforcement, coordination, and environmental protection for Delhi’s “green lungs”, which face pressure from construction and encroachments.

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Forest Department recorded sighting of two Wild Dogs (Dholes) in Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary. Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Madhya Pradesh and has dry deciduous forests. Dhole is a wild canid carnivorous species, also called Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red wolf, red dog and mountain wolf. It inhabits dense jungles, mountains, steppes, scrub and pine forests. It is found across Central, Eastern and Southeastern Asia; stronghold in India’s Western and Eastern Ghats. It is listed as endangered in IUCN conservation status.

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Recently, an Eastern Imperial Eagle was confirmed visiting Mudumalai Tiger Reserve during the winter migratory season. The scientific name of the Eastern Imperial Eagle is Aquila heliaca. The species breeds in southeastern Europe and across West and Central Asia, with most populations migrating to northeastern Africa, the Middle East, and South and East Asia during winter. It is the second largest eagle in Europe, reaching about 0.92 meters in length, a wingspan of approximately 2.14 meters, and a weight of around 3.6 kilograms. According to the IUCN Red List, the Eastern Imperial Eagle is classified as Vulnerable.

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Kerala and Tamil Nadu have started restoring habitats and strengthening monitoring of the grey slender loris. The grey slender loris, scientifically called Loris lydekkerianus, is a primate belonging to the family Loridae and is a prosimian, an ancient group of primates. It is found in southern India, mainly Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, and also in Sri Lanka. It lives in rainforests, dry forests, scrublands, bamboo areas, swamps, and montane cloud forests. It is listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.