In News:

Tuvalu, a small Pacific island nation, is undertaking the world’s first planned national migration due to the existential threat posed by climate change and rising sea levels. The initiative stems from the Falepili Union Treaty (2023) signed between Tuvalu and Australia, marking a landmark case in global climate governance and migration policy.

Why Migration is Needed

• Geography & Vulnerability: Tuvalu consists of nine coral atolls with a total land area of just 25.14 sq. km and a population of ~11,000 (2022 census). Its average elevation is only 2 metres, making it highly vulnerable to flooding, storm surges, and coastal erosion.
• Climate Impact:
  • NASA’s Sea Level Change Team reported that sea levels in Tuvalu were already 15 cm higher in 2023 compared to the previous 30 years.
  • At this rate, most of Tuvalu could be submerged by 2050.
  • Two of its nine atolls are already largely underwater.
  • Scientists warn the islands may become uninhabitable within 80 years.

The Falepili Union Treaty (2023)

• Migration Provision: Australia will grant 280 Tuvaluans permanent residency annually, with access to healthcare, education, housing, and employment.
• Selection Mechanism: Migration is ballot-based. The first phase (June–July 2025) saw 8,750 registrations. The first group of 280 migrants was selected on 25 July 2025.
• Scale: Along with other pathways to Australia and New Zealand, up to 4% of Tuvalu’s population could migrate annually. Within a decade, nearly 40% of the population may relocate, although some may return periodically.
• Objective: To ensure “mobility with dignity”, preventing Tuvaluans from becoming stateless climate refugees.

International Significance

• Precedent for Climate Migration: This is the first-ever state-backed relocation of an entire population due to climate change, setting a model for other vulnerable island nations.
• Global Climate Justice: Tuvalu’s case highlights the plight of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the urgent need for stronger international climate agreements.
• Diplomatic Signalling: Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Feleti Teo has called for a new global treaty safeguarding nations at risk from rising seas.

About Tuvalu

• Location: Polynesian island nation in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Australia and Hawaii.
• Capital: Funafuti.
• Population: ~11,000 (second least populous UN member after Vatican City).
• Economy: Relies on fishing licenses, foreign aid, and remittances from Tuvaluan seafarers.
• UN Membership: Since 2000; actively champions the rights of climate-vulnerable states.

In News:

Recently, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan released thedeclassified versions of India’s Joint Doctrines for Cyberspace Operations and Amphibious Operations. This step reflects India’s effort to enhance jointness, interoperability, and transparency in military operations while strengthening preparedness for multi-domain warfare.

Cyberspace Operations Doctrine

What is Cyberspace?

• A global domain comprising information systems, communication networks, satellites, and data infrastructures.
• It is borderless, dual-use (civilian and military), and subject to rapidly evolving threats.

Components of Cyberspace Operations

1. Defensive Cyber Operations – Protects national and military networks against malware, hacking, and data breaches.
2. Offensive Cyber Operations – Targets adversary systems to disrupt communications, disable command networks, or damage infrastructure.
3. Cyber Intelligence & Reconnaissance – Collects and analyses data to detect vulnerabilities and anticipate attacks.
4. Cyber Support Operations – Provides digital tools and assistance to land, maritime, air, and space operations.
5. Resilience & Recovery – Ensures continuity through backup systems, redundancies, and rapid restoration measures.

Operational Principles

• Threat-informed Planning – Based on real-time intelligence.
• Interoperability – Seamless coordination across the three Services and with civil agencies.
• Layered Defence – Multi-tiered cyber security protocols.
• Legal & Ethical Compliance – Operates within Indian law and global cyber norms.
• Real-time Response – Swift counteraction to minimise damage.

Significance:

• Shields critical infrastructure (power grids, defence networks, communication systems).
• Acts as a force multiplier, enhancing conventional operations.
• Prepares India for hybrid warfare, where cyber, land, sea, and air threats are interlinked.

Amphibious Operations Doctrine

What are Amphibious Operations?

• Coordinated actions by naval, air, and land forces launched from the sea to secure objectives onshore.
• Applications range from combat missions to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).

Key Features

• Tri-service Integration – Combines maritime, aerial, and ground assets.
• Rapid Response – Enables swift deployment from sea to shore.
• Strategic Reach – Expands influence over island territories and littoral regions.
• Flexible Missions – Suitable for both warfare and non-war operations (e.g., disaster relief).
• Maritime–Land Linkage – Strengthens the sea–land operational continuum.

Significance:

• Enhances maritime superiority in the Indian Ocean Region.
• Secures India’s island territories, trade routes, and coastal areas.
• Strengthens India’s blue-water navy aspirations and capacity for overseas contingencies.
• Provides options for HADR missions, vital in the Indo-Pacific where natural disasters are frequent.

Strategic Importance of Doctrines

The release of these doctrines marks a major step in joint military planning and multi-domain operations. They:

• Promote synergy among the Army, Navy, and Air Force, reducing duplication of efforts.
• Build resilience against hybrid threats, including cyber-attacks and maritime conflicts.
• Signal India’s intent to safeguard its national security and global strategic interests.
• Provide policymakers and military planners with a common framework and lexicon.

Further, the CDS has initiated work on new doctrines covering Military Space Operations, Special Forces Operations, Airborne/Heliborne Operations, Integrated Logistics, and Multi-Domain Operations. These will ensure India remains prepared for the emerging spectrum of modern warfare.

In News:

India is set to launch its carbon credit trading market in 2026, with biochar emerging as a promising carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology. Biochar is a carbon-rich, porous, and stable substance produced through pyrolysis (burning biomass without oxygen) ofagricultural residue and municipal solid waste. It offers multiple co-benefits spanning climate mitigation, agriculture, energy, construction, and wastewater treatment.

India’s Untapped Biochar Potential

• Resource base: India generates 600+ million tonnes of agricultural residue and 60+ million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, much of which is burnt or dumped, causing air pollution and GHG emissions.
• Carbon removal: Converting 30–50% of surplus biomass can yield 15–26 million tonnes of biochar, sequestering ~0.1 gigatonne of CO?-eq annually.
• Byproducts:
  • Syngas (20–30 MT): Can generate 8–13 TWh electricity, replacing 0.4–0.7 MT coal/year.
  • Bio-oil (24–40 MT): Can offset 8% of diesel/kerosene demand, reducing >2% of India’s fossil-fuel-based emissions.
• Employment: Village-level pyrolysis units could create 5.2 lakh rural jobs, linking waste management with livelihoods.

Multi-Sectoral Applications

1.Agriculture and Soil Health

• Enhances soil organic carbon and fertility.
• Improves water retention, critical for semi-arid regions.
• Reduces fertilizer needs by 10–20% and increases crop yields by 10–25%.
• Cuts N?O emissions by 30–50% (273× more potent than CO?).
• Example: Andhra Pradesh’s Community Managed Natural Farming has piloted biochar to improve soil quality.

2. Energy and Fuel Substitution

• Syngas and bio-oil provide renewable energy for rural micro-grids and transport.
• Example: Maharashtra pilot projects use pyrolysis gas to replace diesel generators.

3. Construction Sector

• Adding 2–5% biochar to concrete:
  • Increases mechanical strength and heat resistance (+20%).
  • Sequesters ~115 kg CO? per cubic metre.
  • Offers a green alternative to cement, key for India’s infrastructure push.
• Example: IIT-Madras research shows biochar-concrete mix lowers embodied carbon in buildings.

4. Wastewater Treatment

• 1 kg biochar can treat 200–500 litres of wastewater.
• With India producing 70 billion litres/day (72% untreated), biochar offers low-cost, decentralised treatment solutions for rural and urban areas.

In News:

A rare video recently shared by Indian Forest Service officer Susanta Nanda offered a rare glimpse into the secretive life of the clouded leopard (Neofelisnebulosa), showcasing a mother with her cubs in the rainforests of Northeast India. The sighting highlights the critical conservation importance of this elusive and endangered species.

About the Clouded Leopard

• Scientific name:Neofelisnebulosa (mainland Asia); Neofelisdiardi (Sunda clouded leopard, Sumatra & Borneo).
• Classification: Among the most ancient cat species; neither a true “great cat” nor a small cat — cannot roar or purr.
• Size: Medium-sized (60–110 cm long; 11–20 kg); lifespan ~13–17 years.
• Distinctive features:
  • Named for large “cloud-like” coat patterns (ellipses with dark edges).
  • Exceptionally long tail (often body-length) for balance.
  • Long canine teeth, proportionally the same size as those of a tiger.
  • Broad paws and short legs, making it an agile climber; one of the only cats that can climb down trees headfirst, hang upside down, and hunt arboreally.
• Behaviour: Solitary, shy, and nocturnal.

Distribution and Habitat

• Found across Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Indochina, Sumatra, Borneo, and southern China (historically also Taiwan).
• In India: Present in Sikkim, northern West Bengal, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Declared the State Animal of Meghalaya.
• Habitat preference: Lowland tropical rainforests, but also found in dry woodlands, secondary forests, high altitudes in the Himalayas, and even mangrove swamps (Borneo).

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List:Vulnerable.
• Global wild population:fewer than 10,000 individuals.
• Threats:
  • Habitat loss (deforestation, infrastructure expansion).
  • Poachingfor pelts and body parts.
  • Human-wildlife conflict.

Conservation Significance

• Rare sightings, such as the video from Northeast India, underscore the species’ ecological and cultural importance.
• Conservationists stress the need for:
  • Habitat protection through transboundary wildlife corridors.
  • Strengthening protected areas across Northeast India.
  • Community participation to reduce conflict and safeguard prey base.

In News:

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR), the world’s largest living structure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1981), has recorded its steepest decline in hard coral cover in nearly four decades, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) 2025 survey. The reef, spread over 2,000 km along Australia’s northeast coast and covering ~350,000 sq. km, accounts for nearly 10% of global coral reef ecosystems and hosts extraordinary biodiversity, including 400 coral species, 1,500 fish species, 4,000 mollusk species, six of seven turtle species, dugongs, and numerous seabirds.

The 2024–25 Mass Bleaching Event

• The 2024 bleaching, the fifth since 2016, coincided with record ocean heat stress, cyclones, flooding, and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.
• AIMS’ long-term monitoring across 124 reefs (Aug 2024–May 2025) revealed:
  • 48% reefs showed a decline in coral cover,
  • 42% reefs showed no change,
  • Only 10% reefs recorded recovery.
• Some areas, especially in the northern GBR (around Lizard Island), lost over 70% of hard coral cover, the sharpest decline since monitoring began in 1986.

Regional Breakdown of Coral Loss (2024–25)

• Northern GBR: Coral cover dropped from 39.8% to 30% (–24.8%), driven by record heat stress, cyclones, and freshwater inundation.
• Central GBR: Cover fell by 13.9% to 28.6%, with Cairns sector reefs losing 6–60% due to Cyclone Jasper (2023) and flooding.
• Southern GBR: Sharpest relative loss, down from 38.9% to 26.9% (–30.6%), largely due to extreme heat stress in the Capricorn-Bunker sector, storm damage, and coral disease.

Drivers of Decline

1. Climate change-induced heat stress – primary driver of bleaching.
2. Cyclones & floods – physical damage and sedimentation.
3. Crown-of-thorns starfish – venomous predators that feed on corals.
4. Coral disease – post-bleaching infections weaken recovery.

Oscillating Ecosystem Under Stress

• Acropora corals, fast-growing and heat-resilient species that helped reef recovery (2017–24), were worst hit.
• Scientists warn of increasing volatility in coral cover, shifting between record highs and lows within short periods.
• Before the 1990s, mass bleaching was rare (first major event: 1998). Since 2020, GBR has faced bleaching in 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025, with two consecutive years of mass bleaching for the second time in a decade.

Global Perspective

According to the US NOAA, between Jan 2023 and May 2025, 83.9% of global coral reef area experienced bleaching-level heat stress, with mass bleaching reported in at least 83 countries and territories.

Conservation & Outlook

The GBR, managed largely under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, remains one of the most studied ecosystems. However, repeated bleaching events are leaving insufficient recovery time, pushing the ecosystem toward collapse. Scientists warn the window to save the GBR is rapidly closing without urgent global climate action.