Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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A new deep-sea coral species has been identified as Iridogorgia chewbacca. The species is named after Chewbacca, the tall, furry Wookiee character from Star Wars. It was discovered in the tropical western Pacific Ocean and first seen in 2006. The coral has long, curly, shiny branches resembling Chewbacca’s fur and grows upright alone on the ocean floor. The discovery was made by researchers including Les Watling, in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The finding highlights deep ocean biodiversity and was published in Zootaxa.

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Recently, researchers from the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Kochi under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), discovered a new finless snake eel species. The species is named Apterichtus kanniyakumari to honour Kanniyakumari’s cultural, linguistic, historical, and geographical significance. It was discovered off the Colachel coast in Tamil Nadu at a depth of about 100 metres during deep-sea trawling. The eel shows unique features like golden-yellow body, pale white head underside, yellow jaw lines, and three distinct black blotches. This is the 16th marine species discovered from the Indian coast by the NBFGR team.

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Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve (CDBR) in Himachal Pradesh has been included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) by UNESCO. The reserve covers 7,770 sq km in Lahaul-Spiti district, making India’s total 13 biospheres in World Network of Biosphere Reserves. UNESCO added 26 new biosphere reserves across 21 countries, the highest in 20 years, bringing World Network of Biosphere Reserves to 785 sites in 142 countries.

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A recent survey by State Forest Department and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) found rare nesting of Pallid Fish Eagle in Corbett Tiger Reserve. The bird is also called Pallas’s sea eagle or band-tailed fish eagle and is a large brownish sea eagle. It lives near lakes, marshes and rivers from lowlands up to 5,000 metres elevation. It is partially migratory, with Central Asian birds wintering in northern India and further west to the Persian Gulf. It is found across East Palearctic regions like Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Its IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List status is Endangered.

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During Durga Puja immersions, heightened security was deployed along the India-Bangladesh border on the Ichamati River. The Ichamati River is a trans-boundary river flowing through India and Bangladesh. It also serves as part of the international boundary between the two countries. The river originates from Mahjdia village in Nadia district, West Bengal, as a bifurcation of the Mathabhanga River, which is a distributary of the Padma River. It flows through Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts in West Bengal, then enters Satkhira and Khulna districts in Bangladesh.

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During Wildlife Week 2025 at Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, the Union Environment Minister launched five major conservation projects and four national-level wildlife monitoring programmes. Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) Project is a new national initiative by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). TOTR will be implemented from 2025–2028 with a budget of ₹88.7 crore, coordinated by NTCA and executed through state forest departments. The project aims to reduce human–tiger conflicts in non-reserve areas and ensure safe coexistence.

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Around 100 wild boars were found dead in Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary in March, likely due to toxic waste contamination in Nangal Lake. Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the foothills of the Shivalik Hills, Rupnagar district, Punjab. The sanctuary covers 116 hectares and is part of the Nangal Wetland on the Sutlej River. It lies within a man-made reservoir built under the Bhakra-Nangal Project.

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Recently, the Delhi Declaration on Local Action for Global Climate Goals was adopted at the first ARISE Cities Forum 2025 held on October 8–9 in New Delhi. The forum was co-hosted by ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) South Asia and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). It aimed to strengthen multilevel cooperation and accelerate urban climate action ahead of COP30 under UNFCCC. More than 200 delegates from 60 cities and 25 countries participated, representing governments, private sector, and civil society. It affirms the leadership of cities in achieving the Paris Agreement goals and highlights the Global South’s voice in climate governance.

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The Shi-Yomi district administration in Arunachal Pradesh will hold an environmental public hearing on November 12 for the 1,000 MW Naying Hydroelectric Project at Yapik community hall. The project is a run-of-the-river hydropower project on the Siyom (Yomgo) River in Arunachal Pradesh, to be implemented by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO). It includes a concrete dam, underground powerhouse, and tunnels, with construction likely to begin in 2028 and commissioning by 2032. The project will produce 4,966.77 GWh of electricity annually. The Siyom River, a right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra, flows through Arunachal Pradesh, with Mouling National Park on its east bank.

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The Supreme Court directed the Jharkhand government to give an undertaking to notify a new wildlife sanctuary in Saranda. Saranda Forest is the largest Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in Asia, located in Jharkhand. Sal is a moist deciduous tree. Saranda means “the land of seven hundred hills”. Nearly 80% of the local population belongs to Ho, Munda, Oraon, and other primitive tribes. The notification aims to protect biodiversity and support tribal livelihoods.