Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Rare migratory Pallas’s Gull (Great Black-headed Gull) was spotted again in Udhwa Bird Sanctuary, Jharkhand after nearly 10 years. It is the world’s largest black-headed gull and the third-largest gull species globally. It breeds in marshes and islands from southern Russia to Mongolia. It migrates in winter to the Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Peninsula, and India. It prefers wetlands, salt lakes, lagoons, and slow-flowing rivers as its habitat. It is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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Community-led conservation initiatives at Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary have recently succeeded in restoring wild honey bee colonies, leading to improved pollination, healthier forests, and revival of associated wildlife. These efforts highlight the role of local community participation in strengthening ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation within protected areas. Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts of Assam. The sanctuary is renowned as the second protected habitat of the endangered golden langur, supporting a population of over 600 individuals, making it ecologically significant at the national level.

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Tamil Nadu launched a conservation initiative to protect the smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) in the Cauvery River delta due to habitat loss and rising human–wildlife conflict. The programme will estimate population, map habitats, study threats like pollution, dams and pesticides, and restore habitats through reeds planting and fish ladders. Otters live in bevvies of 4–12, communicate with whistles and chirps, and control freshwater ecosystems by feeding on fish. Their numbers fell due to dams, contaminated water, plastic pollution, and loss of prey. It is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and protected under Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

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The Government has declared the Parvati-Arga Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh as an Eco-Sensitive Zone. The initiative aims to develop the sanctuary as a responsible ecotourism destination and strengthen biodiversity. The sanctuary is located in Gonda District, Uttar Pradesh. The sanctuary covers 1,084 hectares and includes two lakes, Parvati and Arga, situated about 1.5 km apart.

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The Indian Skimmer Conservation Project was launched by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). BNHS, established in 1883, is one of India’s largest non-governmental organizations working on conservation and biodiversity research. The Indian Skimmer is native to South Asia, mainly found in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, and extends to Nepal and Myanmar. It has a unique feeding method, skimming the water surface with its specialised beak, where the lower mandible is longer. The species inhabits sandy lowland rivers, lakes, marshes, estuaries, and coastal areas. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Indian Skimmer is Endangered.

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Recently, two new safari gates were inaugurated at the Bor Tiger Project in Maharashtra. Bor Tiger Reserve is located in the Wardha district of Maharashtra. It is the smallest tiger reserve in India in terms of area. The reserve covers about 138.12 square kilometres, including the drainage basin of the Bor Dam. It holds strategic importance as it is centrally located among major Bengal tiger habitats.

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India added two new wetlands to its Ramsar network ahead of World Wetlands Day. Patna Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh has freshwater marshes, woodlands, and grasslands, supporting high biodiversity. It is designated an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area by BirdLife International. Chhari-Dhand Wetland in Kutch, Gujarat, is a seasonal saline wetland between Banni grasslands and salt flats.

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Iran has used cloud seeding by spraying chemicals over the Urmia Lake basin to induce rainfall amid the worst drought in decades. Lake Urmia, also called Lake Oromeeh, is located in the Azerbaijan region of northwestern Iran. It is the largest lake in the Middle East. The lake is a terminal lake, meaning it has no outlet and is highly saline. It receives water mainly from the Talkheh River in the northeast.

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The Jharkhand Tourism Minister launched a jungle safari and laid the foundation for 30 eco-cottages at Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary. Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary is located in East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. It lies around the Dalma Hills on the Chotanagpur Plateau. The sanctuary is named after “Dalma Mai,” a local goddess worshipped by nearby communities. Its forests fall within the catchment of the Subarnarekha River and Dimna Lake near Jamshedpur.

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The Uttarakhand Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of the Sharda River Corridor at Tanakpur in Champawat district. The Sharda River is a transboundary river flowing through northern India and western Nepal. It originates as the Kali River in far northern Uttarakhand in the Great Himalayas. The river rises on the eastern slopes of the Nanda Devi massif. Its major tributaries include the Dhauliganga, Goriganga, and Sarju rivers.