Global Environmental Issues

Defining Global Environmental Issues: Scope and scale of environmental problems, Historical Perspective of Environmental Concerns: Industrial Revolution and its environmental consequences, Major environmental movements and milestones, Sustainable Development: Definition and principles of sustainable development (Brundtland Report), Three pillars of sustainability: Environmental, Social, and Economic, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – overview and relevance, Drivers of Environmental Change: Population growth, consumption patterns, technological advancements, Poverty and inequality as environmental stressors.

Science of Climate Change, Evidence of climate change, Impacts of Climate Change, Mitigation Strategies: Energy efficiency and conservation, Renewable energy sources, Adaptation Strategies: Building resilience, early warning systems, Water management, climate-resilient agriculture, Coastal protection, International Climate Governance: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement: Principles, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Role of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).

Understanding Biodiversity: Levels of biodiversity: Genetic, Species, Ecosystem, Threats to Biodiversity: Habitat loss and fragmentation, Pollution, Overexploitation of resources, Invasive alien species, Ecosystem Services: Provisioning services (food, water, timber), Regulating services (climate regulation, flood control), Cultural services (recreation, spiritual), Supporting services (nutrient cycling, soil formation), Valuation of ecosystem services, Biodiversity Conservation Strategies: In-situ conservation: Protected areas , Ex-situ conservation: Zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks, Restoration ecology, Role of international conventions (e.g., Convention on Biological Diversity - CBD).

Water Scarcity and Pollution, Water pollution sources, Water quality parameters and treatment technologies (brief overview), Integrated water resource management, Air Pollution, Major air pollutants and their sources (industrial, vehicular, domestic), Smog, acid rain, ozone depletion (stratospheric and tropospheric), Transboundary air pollution, Health impacts of air pollution, Land Degradation and Desertification, Causes, Impacts, Waste Management, Types of waste: , Principles of waste management, Waste treatment technologies, Energy Resources and Environmental Impact, Environmental impacts of fossil fuel extraction and combustion, Nuclear energy: Benefits and risks (waste disposal, safety), Hydropower: Benefits and ecological impacts.

Environmental Law and Policy, Principles of environmental law, National environmental policies and legislation (with focus on India: e.g., Environmental Protection Act, Water Act, Air Act), Role of environmental agencies and regulatory bodies. International Environmental Governance, Role of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Bank, NGOs, Major international environmental agreements and treaties, Global environmental conventions and their effectiveness. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Purpose and process of EIA, Stages of EIA, Green Technologies and Innovation, Renewable energy technologies (revisited), Sustainable agriculture and organic farming, green building concepts, Eco-friendly materials and processes, Circular Economy and Sustainable Consumption, Principles of circular economy vs. linear economy, Corporate social responsibility and environmental ethics.