Acid rain occurs when sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) react with water vapor and other chemicals in the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and nitric acid (HNO₃), which mix with precipitation. (pH Level: below the normal level of 5.6)
- SO₂ + O₂ → SO₃
- SO₃ + H₂O → H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid)
- 2NO₂ + H₂O → HNO₃ + HNO₂ (nitric and nitrous acid)
Main Sources:
- Electric Power Generation: Most SO₂ (two-thirds) and some NOₓ (one-fourth) come from power plants burning fossil fuels.
- Transportation: Vehicles and machinery release NOₓ.
- Industrial Activities: Industries like manufacturing and oil refineries emit SO₂ and NOₓ.
Carbon footprint.
- Carbon Footprint: Amount of greenhouse gases emissions associated with all the activities of a person or other entity (e.g., building, corporation, country, etc.).
- It is an Environmental Indicator which measures both direct and indirect emissions of greenhouse gases including methane (CH₄), nitrogen oxide (N₂O), HFCs, PFCs, SF₆ and primarily carbon dioxide (CO₂).
- Strategies for Reducing the Carbon Footprint – Energy Efficiency , Renewable Energy ,Sustainable Transportation, Sustainable Diet , Waste Reduction.
- Desertification refers to land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities (UNCCD)
Or
- Desertification, a series of natural processes leading to gradual land degradation, is one of the most serious environmental issues at global, national, regional and local scales (UNEP)
Or
- According to the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India, published by ISRO, an estimated 97.84 million hectares of land in India was affected by land degradation and desertification in 2018–19, highlighting the seriousness of this environmental challenge.(Fact)
Or
- Unsustainable agricultural practices, deforestation, overgrazing, and climate change have increasingly contributed to the spread of desert-like conditions across once-productive lands—an alarming trend termed desertification.(General)
Or
- The recently concluded UNCCD COP-16, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December 2024, reaffirmed global concern over desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD).Issues that significantly threaten agriculture, water security, and livelihoods in countries like India.(Current)
Effects of Desertification
- Loss of Fertile Soil: About 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil are lost annually due to erosion, severely reducing agricultural productivity.
- Threat to Food Security: Desertification leads to decline in crop yields, making food production unreliable and insufficient, especially in subsistence farming areas.
- Increased Poverty and Hunger: Reduced productivity leads to unemployment, hunger, and rising rural poverty.
- Migration and Conflict: Loss of livelihoods due to land degradation forces people to migrate, sometimes leading to social unrest and conflict.
- Worsening Climate Change: It contributes to climate crises like droughts, floods, and famine, especially in tropical and subtropical regions.
- Economic Loss: In India alone, land degradation costs an estimated Rs. 3177 billion annually, nearly 2.5% of GDP, affecting key sectors like agriculture and forestry.
Efforts to Combat Desertification:
At Global level
- The Bonn Challenge: A global initiative to restore 150 million hectares of land by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.
- Great Green Wall: A project by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) involving 11 African countries to fight land degradation and restore native plants.
- UNCCD : An international agreement established in 1994 to promote sustainable land management.
- World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought: Celebrated on June 17th each year
- SDG Goal 15.3 : Focuses on protecting the planet from degradation and promoting sustainable resource management.
At National level
- National Action Plan to Combat Desertification, 2023: India’s commitment to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 through the National Action Plan.
- The Space Applications Centre (ISRO) provides crucial data through the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas, helping track the extent of desertification and guide restoration efforts.
- Centre of Excellence: At ICFRE, Dehradun, for research and sharing land degradation solutions
- National Afforestation Programme (NAP): Merged with the Green India Mission for ecological restoration.
At Rajasthan level
- Aravali Green Wall Project – aims to create a 1,400km long and 5km wide green belt around the Aravali range, rejuvenating 75 water bodies across Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi.
- “Mission Hariyalo Rajasthan – target for planting 10 crore trees in 2025-26.
- Green Budget: Sustainable development can be prioritized through “Green Growth” to combat the impacts of climate change
Desertification, driven by climate change and unsustainable practices, demands urgent global action. Efforts at international, national and local level are required to restore degraded lands and prevent further ecological damage.
NASA’s ongoing temperature analysis shows Earth’s average global temperature has risen by 1.1°C since 1880, with most of the warming occurring post-1975 at a rate of about 0.15 to 0.20°C per decade.
- UNFCCC defines climate change as human-induced alterations to the global atmosphere’s composition, distinct from natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.
Causes of Climate change:
- Burning of Fossil Fuels: coal, oil and gas – are by far the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions. As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun’s heat. This leads to global warming and climate change.
- Generating power: Burning fossil fuels for electricity and heat production emits carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, major greenhouse gases.
- Using transportation: Vehicles running on fossil fuels, especially road vehicles, emit significant carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to greenhouse gas levels.
- Deforestation releases stored carbon dioxide from trees, limiting nature’s ability to absorb emissions.
- Deforestation, together with agriculture and other land use changes, is responsible for roughly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. (UN)
- Agriculture : Agriculture, including deforestation for agriculture and grazing, methane emissions from livestock, and energy use in farming, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
- Industrialization and Urbanization
- Manufacturing goods: Manufacturing and industry produce emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels to produce energy for making things like cement, iron, steel, electronics, plastics, clothes, and other goods.
- Powering buildings: emitting greenhouse gases from heating, cooling, and electricity consumption.
- Consumerism: the richest 1 per cent of the global population combined account for more greenhouse gas emissions than the poorest 50 per cent (UN)
- Land Use Changes: Converting land for urban development or agriculture
- Natural – Sunspot and solar cycles, Volcanic eruptions etc.
Some key Global initiatives include:
- International Agreements: UNFCCC was established in 1992 to address climate change on a global scale. The Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the Paris Agreement (2015) are key international agreements aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global warming.
- Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, nations collectively agreed to keep warming “well under 2.0 °C (3.6 °F)” through mitigation efforts.
- COP 28 (2023) : The Global Stocktake (periodic review mechanism) proposes eight steps → It calls for tripling renewable energy capacity globally and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.
- UN Call for Net-Zero Emissions: by the year 2050.
- NDC Targets : India’s updated NDC targets include reducing emissions intensity of GDP by 45% by 2030 from 2005 levels and achieving 50% cumulative electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
- Renewable Energy Transition: Many countries are investing in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
- International Solar Alliance (ISA) → One Sun, One World, One Grid
- Afforestation and Reforestation:.
- REDD+ : Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism developed by Parties of the UNFCCC. It creates financial value for the carbon stored in forests to offer incentives for the developing nations to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths
- Technological Innovation: Advances in technology, such as electric vehicles, energy-efficient appliances, and carbon capture and storage, play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Geological carbon sequestration: in deep porous rocks or saline aquifers.
- Climate Resilience and Adaptation: building resilient infrastructure, improving water management systems, and implementing early warning systems for extreme weather events.
- Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) by india
- Environmentally Friendly Practices : Promotion of Public Transport, Electric Vehicles (EVs), Sustainable Diet; Reduce, Reuse, Repair, and Recycle
- Shift in Habits and Attitudes: Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement was introduced by India during COP26
- The prevalent “use-and-dispose” economy governed by mindless and destructive consumption will be replaced by a circular economy, defined by conscious and deliberate consumption.
In the global fight against climate change, prioritizing climate justice, embracing CBDR principles, and promoting green growth are essential.
