August 2025

In short: India's wildlife, climate and conservation news this month — distilled for SI/Constable Prelims.

Current Affairs — India › Environment · 9 min read · Free to read · English & Telugu

Bilingual study notes for the Andhra Pradesh Police SI & Constable exams (SLPRB AP) by AP Police Hub, a product of Anvil Academy.

August 2025's environment round-up beyond the Science digest — India's wetlands resolution at Ramsar COP15, the Supreme Court's ruling on Pollution Control Boards, the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve's expansion, the Etalin hydro-project clearance, and Himalayan cloudburst geography.

August 2025 — At a Glance

Beyond the defence-tech and disaster stories already covered in this month's Science digest, August 2025 carried a genuinely separate stream of environment news. India secured global backing for a wetlands-conservation resolution at the Ramsar Convention's 15th Conference of Parties, the Supreme Court clarified Pollution Control Boards' power to levy environmental compensation, the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve became India's second-largest after an area expansion, and an expert panel recommended environmental clearance for the controversial Etalin hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh's biodiversity-rich Dibang Valley.

1. Global Environmental Governance

India's resolution on wise-use of wetlands adopted at Ramsar COP15

What — India's resolution 'Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles for Wetlands' was adopted at the Ramsar Convention's 15th Conference of Parties (CoP) in Zimbabwe, with 172 countries supporting it. It aligns with Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), India's global movement introduced at COP26, Glasgow (2021).
India's approach — The National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA), Integrated Management Plans, and a 2024 'Wetland Wise Use' implementation framework; 'Mission Sahbhagita' and 'Save Wetlands' campaigns have engaged over 2 million citizen volunteers, mapping 1.7 lakh+ wetlands.
About the Ramsar Convention — Adopted 1971 in Ramsar, Iran; came into force 1975 — an intergovernmental treaty for wetland conservation. Over 2,500 Ramsar Sites globally; India has 91, the highest in Asia.
Other CoP15 outcomes — The 'Victoria Falls' Declaration on wetlands' ecological/social/economic roles; launch of the Indo-Burma Ramsar Regional Initiative (IBRRI, 2025-2030) for Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam; endorsement of the Global Waterbird Estimates Partnership (GWEP).

Global Outlook Council on Water Investments (GOCWI)

What — South Africa's President announced the launch of GOCWI, a G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative and core pillar of the Global Water Partnership's (GWP) Global Transformation Agenda — aiming to mobilise $15 billion for water security by 2030.

2. Conservation & Wildlife

Sundarbans Tiger Reserve becomes India's 2nd-largest

What — The National Board of Wildlife (NBWL), led by the Union Environment Minister, approved West Bengal's proposal to increase the area of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (STR) — elevating it from 7th to 2nd-largest among India's 58 tiger reserves, just behind Andhra Pradesh's Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.
About Sundarbans TR — Coastal districts of West Bengal; the only mangrove forest (shared with Bangladesh) housing a significant tiger population; borders Bangladesh (east), Bay of Bengal (south), the Matla, Bidya and Gomdi rivers; its National Park area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve.
Notification process — Tiger reserves are notified by State Governments under Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 on advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority; boundary alterations need NTCA recommendation plus National Board for Wildlife approval (Section 38W).

'Matri Van' Initiative — a 750-acre urban forest in the Aravallis

What — Launched in Gurugram to develop a 750-acre urban forest in the Aravalli hills, part of the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' programme. Components include removal of invasive species and plantation of Aravalli-specific native trees.

UNDP Equator Initiative Award — Bibi Fatima SHG

What — The Bibi Fatima Women's Self-Help Group from a village in Dharwad district, Karnataka, won the Equator Initiative Award — the sole Indian winner among 10 global winners for its climate-resilient, millet-based mixed cropping on rainfed lands.
About the award — Presented biennially by UNDP, launched 2002; also called the 'Nobel Prize for Biodiversity Conservation'; 2025's theme was Women and Youth Leadership for Nature-Based Climate Action; cash prize $10,000.

3. Environmental Regulation & Risk

Supreme Court: Pollution Control Boards can impose environmental compensation

What — In Delhi Pollution Control Committee vs Lodhi Property Co. Ltd, the Supreme Court overturned a Delhi High Court ruling that only courts could impose environmental compensation (EC) — holding that Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) have this power under Section 33A of the Water Act, 1974 and Section 31A of the Air Act, 1981.
Key principle — Environmental compensation works on the 'Polluter Pays' principle — PCBs can't penalise every contravention, only where environmental harm has actually been caused; liability can include both a compensatory and a remedial aspect.
About CPCB/SPCBs — The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, constituted under the Water Act, 1974 and empowered under the Air Act, 1981; State PCBs implement environmental laws within their states.

Etalin Hydroelectric Project — clearance recommended

What — An expert panel of the Union Environment Ministry recommended environmental clearance for the Etalin hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh's Dibang Valley — part of the Eastern Himalaya Global Biodiversity Hotspot.
Details — Involves concrete gravity dams on the Dri and Tangon rivers, which join near Etalin village to form the Dibang River downstream — a long-debated project given its biodiversity-hotspot location.

Cloudbursts in the Himalayan region

What — Cloudbursts recently impacted Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and J&K. IMD defines a cloudburst as 10 cm of rainfall received at a station within one hour; they occur via orographic lift — moist air forced up a mountain, cooling and condensing until the stored water falls at once.
Contributing factors — Climate change (every 1°C rise lets air hold ~7% more moisture), forecasting challenges (highly local, hard to predict, costly Doppler radar coverage), and anthropogenic factors — deforestation, wetland loss and unplanned development that reduce natural absorption.
Way forward — The 2019 National Disaster Management Plan's cloudburst DRR strategy stresses Landslide Hazard Zonation, inter-agency coordination, slope stabilisation via bioengineering, multi-hazard insurance and risk-sensitive urban planning.