Environment & Ecology MCQs

Initially, increased meltwater might lead to higher river flows, but as glaciers shrink, the long-term water supply will diminish, leading to scarcity. Accelerated melting also increases the risk of GLOFs.

The report highlights that the rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers, which are a major source of freshwater for many Asian rivers, directly impacts the water availability and security for millions of people in downstream regions.

Biodiversity hotspots face threats from habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, urban development, and changes in environmental conditions like rainfall, necessitating the creation of new protected areas.

The Western Ghats are renowned for their high levels of endemism across various taxa and possess unique ecosystems like rainforests and shola grasslands, making them vital for conservation efforts.

The Western Ghats are a biodiversity hotspot, and new protected areas are often established to conserve species found nowhere else on Earth, which are known as endemic species.

Effective heatwave resilience requires proactive measures like early warning systems to alert citizens and public awareness campaigns to educate them on protective actions.

Cool materials, such as cool pavements and cool roofs, are designed to have high solar reflectance and thermal emittance, thus reducing heat absorption.

Green infrastructure helps mitigate urban heat island effects by providing shade, evapotranspiration, and reducing surface temperatures.

The plan aims to tackle major threats to biodiversity, including habitat destruction, the impact of invasive species, and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.

A crucial aspect of the plan is integrating biodiversity conservation considerations into all relevant sectoral and sub-sectoral levels of planning and implementation.