Ecological Threat Report 2023

 A recent report by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) warns that the number of people living in countries facing severe ecological threats is expected to surge to 2.8 billion by 2050, up from the current 1.8 billion. These alarming findings come as a result of increasing environmental challenges and climate-related events.

Hotspots in Sub-Saharan Africa

The IEP’s Ecological Threat Report 2023 highlights that over half of the countries facing severe threats are located in sub-Saharan Africa. The report assesses global ecological threats, pinpointing countries and regions most susceptible to conflict, civil unrest, and displacement due to environmental degradation.

Scope of the Study

Covering 221 countries and independent territories, the report further delved into 3,594 sub-national areas, encompassing nearly the entire global population. Out of these areas, 66 countries currently confront at least one severe ecological threat.

Rising Concerns

The report reveals that the number of countries grappling with severe ecological threats and limited societal resilience has surged from 27 to 30 in the past year. Sub-Saharan Africa particularly stands out as a region with significantly heightened ecological threats.

Hotspot Nations

Among the 30 countries identified as hotspots for severe ecological threats and low societal resilience, 19 are located in sub-Saharan Africa. Ethiopia, Niger, Somalia, and South Sudan are considered the most vulnerable, with Ethiopia and Niger newly emerging as hotspots. The report also adds Myanmar to the list of countries facing heightened ecological threats.

Regions of Relative Safety

In contrast, Europe and North America remain the only regions where no country currently faces a severe ecological threat, according to the report.

Key Threat Categories

The report categorizes ecological threats into four main areas: food insecurity, natural disasters, demographic pressure, and water risk. Currently, 42 countries are experiencing severe food insecurity, affecting nearly four billion people, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.

Water Risk and Conflict

Water risk emerges as a significant global ecological threat, with two billion people lacking access to safe drinking water. While sub-Saharan Africa faces the highest water risk, the Middle East, North Africa, Russia, and Eurasia are also witnessing increasing challenges in this regard. The report highlights that a 25% increase in food insecurity, lack of access to clean drinking water, or natural disasters raises the risk of conflict by 36%, 18%, and 21%, respectively.

Call for Action

The report underscores the urgency for world leaders to take action, invest in resilience-building, and address ecological threats, especially as the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change approaches. Steve Killelea, founder and executive chairman of IEP, emphasizes the need for proactive measures to combat these threats and support affected communities.

Investment for Resilience

The report underscores the need for substantial investment to enhance resilience against ecological threats, reducing the risk of conflict and forced migration. It also outlines various policy recommendations aimed at assisting local communities in improving water resources, agricultural yields, and overall resilience.

Current Affairs-November 3, 2023

 

INDIA

• Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal launches the domestic sailing of the first International Cruise Liner ‘COSTA SERENA’ in India at Mumbai.
• Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals organises 5th Edition of ICC Sustainability Conclave 2023.
• Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurates ‘India Manufacturing Show’ in Bengaluru.
• ECI signs MoU with the Ministry of Education to bring Electoral Literacy to Classrooms across the country.
• Kerala government moves Supreme Court against Governor over pending Bills.
• NCERT to introduce electoral literacy content in textbooks.
• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has sent notice to tech giant Apple about ‘state-sponsored attacks’ alert on iPhones.

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), launched its groundbreaking National Efficient Cooking Programme (NECP) and Energy Efficient Fans Programme (EEFP).
• People can send their Rs 2,000 banknotes to specified regional offices of the Reserve Bank through the insured post for credit in their bank accounts.

WORLD

• U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to New Delhi next week for the India-US ‘2+2’ meeting.
• U.N: International funding for climate resilience in developing countries slumped in 2021 despite increasingly ferocious impacts.
• More than 1,65,000 Afghans fled Pakistan in the month since its government ordered 1.7 million people to leave or face arrest and deportation.
• Israeli troops advanced toward Gaza City, as the Palestinian death toll rose above 9,000.

SPORTS

• India beats Sri Lanka by 302 runs, in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
• Cricket: Nepal and Oman qualify for T20 World Cup 2024.

Current Affairs-November 4, 2023

 

INDIA

• The Karnataka Health Department, is closely monitoring the situation after a mosquito pool in Thalakayalbetta village was found to be positive for Zika.
• Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has cleared a proposal to take up a comprehensive caste-based census in the State.
• A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 hit Nepal sending waves of tremors across parts of North India.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the West Asia situation with the President of the UAE.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the second edition of the Mega food event ‘World Food India 2023’ in New Delhi.
• The 7th edition of Ganga Utsav was organized by National Mission for Clean Ganga in New Delhi.

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

• The Finance Ministry has offered an amnesty scheme for filing appeals against Goods and Services Tax (GST) demand orders.
• Overall Coal production in October 2023 touches 78.65 Million Tonnes.
• Net new female staff additions under EPFO rise 120 per cent to 2.8 million.

WORLD

• Bhutan’s fourth parliamentary elections set to be held in January.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a Bill, revoking Russia’s ratification of global nuclear test ban.
• Storm Ciaran hits north-west Europe with torrential rains and winds up to 200 kilometres per hour.
• India and Italy sign Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement to facilitate movement of workers, students.

SPORTS

• Olympian Srihari Nataraj finished the 37th National Games with eight golds, including four in the team relays.
• Akshay Bohra wins India’s first-ever F4 championship at Indian Racing Festival in Chennai.

UNESCO names Kozhikode ‘city of literature’: What this tag means

 The city of Kozhikode in Kerala was added in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) on Wednesday. Gwalior from Madhya Pradesh was also among the 55 new cities to join the network.

These cities have been handpicked to represent seven creative fields — crafts and folk arts, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts, and music. Kozhikode was included in the category of literature and Gwalior in the category of music.

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN)

The UCCN was created in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. It now includes 350 cities in over a hundred countries.The network is aimed at leveraging the creative, social, and economic potential of cultural industries. It was launched to promote UNESCO’s goals of cultural diversity and strengthen resilience to threats such as climate change, rising inequality, and rapid urbanisation. It encourages a culture of creativity in urban planning and solutions to urban problems.

Indian cities in the network

Apart from Kozhikode and Gwalior, Varanasi (music), Srinagar (crafts and folk arts) and Chennai (music) are part of the network.

Kozhikode’s literary tradition

The North Kerala city of Kozhikode is home to many promiment personalities of the state’s literary and cultural world. The city, where several leading media houses are headquartered, has hundreds of publishing banners and several libraries enriching its literary tradition.

The first Malayalam novel Kundalatha was born in Kozhikode in 1887. It was authored by Appu Nedungadi. Several illustrious writers like S K Pottekkatt, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Uroob, Thikkodiyan, NN Kakkad, P Valsala, Akbar Kakkattil, Punathil Kunjabdulla and MT Vasudevan Nair have brought laurels for Kozhikode. The city has also produced many film and theatre professionals in the last half a century.

Objective of the CCCN

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network allows member cities to recognise creativity as an essential component of urban development, notably through partnerships involving the public and private sectors and civil society. It envisages to develop hubs of creativity and innovation and broaden opportunities for creators and professionals in the cultural sector. These cities have to achieve the UN agenda of sustainable development.

Areas of action

The objectives of the network are implemented both at the level of the member cities and at the international level, notably through sharing experiences, knowledge and best practices. There are professional and artistic exchange programmes, research and evaluations on the experience of the creative cities, among other activities.

The annual conference of network cities

A highlight of the network is the annual conference of mayors and other stakeholders of network cities, which offers a unique occasion to strengthen ties between creative cities from across the world. The main objective of the conference is to exchange practical information on policies and activities carried out by cities and stimulate inter-city collaborations.

The last conference was held in Santos, Brazil, and this year’s conference was in Istanbul. The next conference will be held in July 2024 in Braga, Portugal.

What members have to do

Every four years, member cities are required to submit a Membership Monitoring Report, with the aim of demonstrating their steadfast commitment towards the implementation of the UCCN Mission Statement. They present an action plan for the following four years, providing insights into their achievements and lessons learnt, as well as the impact of the designation.

Written by Shaju Philip

Source: Indian Express, 2/11/23

Quote of the Day October 30, 2023

 

“Attitude determines altitude.”
Anonymous

“आपकी मनोवृत्ति ही आपकी महानता को निर्धारित करती है।”
अज्ञात

Google’s New Tools to Combat Misinformation and Enhance Image Understanding

 In its ongoing battle against the spread of misinformation online, Google has introduced three innovative tools aimed at improving image understanding and fact-checking. These tools, “About this Image,” “Fact Check Explorer,” and AI-generated source descriptions within the “Search Generative Experience,” empower users to make more informed decisions and counter the proliferation of false information.

About this Image: Verifying Image Authenticity

Google’s “About this Image” feature, initially introduced earlier this year, is now accessible to global English language users via Google Search. This tool equips users with the means to verify the authenticity and background of images they encounter online. Key functions of “About this Image” include:

1. Image History: Users can trace an image’s original appearance in Google Search, helping them determine if it has been previously published on other websites long before its current context. This aids in preventing misinformation caused by context manipulation.
2. Usage and Descriptions: The tool provides insights into how an image is used on various web pages, along with opinions and information from other sources, including news outlets and fact-checking websites. This data assists in evaluating claims related to an image, offering diverse viewpoints and evidence.
3. Image Metadata: When available, users can access metadata added by image creators and publishers. This metadata may reveal if the image has undergone AI generation or enhancement, providing transparency for AI-generated images.

Fact Check Explorer: Assessing Image and Topic Accuracy

Fact Check Explorer is a new tool designed for journalists and fact-checkers to gain deeper insights into both images and topics. It utilizes claim review markup to detect and present fact-check assessments conducted by independent organizations globally. Key features include:

1. Fact Check Image Search: Users can upload or input the URL of any image into Fact Check Explorer to check if it has been featured in existing fact checks. The tool also offers an overview of different contexts associated with the image and their evolution over time.
2. Integration with FactCheck Claim Search API: Google has introduced a beta version of the Image Search feature within the FactCheck Claim Search API. This enables authorized journalists and fact-checkers to access the fact-check image database through the Fact Check Explorer, streamlining image verification and fact-checking processes.

Search Generative Experience: Enhanced Source Information

For users participating in the Search Generative Experience (SGE) via Search Labs, there’s a new feature that provides AI-generated descriptions of certain sources. These descriptions are supplemented with information about reputable websites discussing the source in question. Key aspects of this feature include:

AI-Generated Source Descriptions: Users can view AI-generated source descriptions in the “more about this page” section of the “About this result” for specific sources. This feature is particularly useful in cases where no existing overview is available from Wikipedia or the Google Knowledge Graph.

Current Affairs-October 28, 2023

 

INDIA

• Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs postponed its adoption of a draft report on three Bills seeking to replace the existing criminal laws.
• Study: Chandrayaan-3’s lander module, Vikram kicked up 2 tonnes of lunar dust.
• Mizoram has highest cancer incidence rate in India, as per a new study.
• Karnataka, along with the Wildlife Trust of India, has launched the Hostile Activity Watch Kernel (HAWK) system.

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

• Mango exports from India rose 19% in the first five months of 2023-24, with the U.S. importing more than 2,000 metric tonnes; 41 countries bought the pulpy fruit this year.
• iPhone maker, Taiwan’s Wistron approved the sale of its India unit, Wistron InfoComm to the Tata Group.
• Reliance Jio has tested satellite Internet service, JioSpaceFiber, in four remote districts in India.

WORLD

• United States fighter jets launched airstrikes on two locations in eastern Syria linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
• United Nations said it was concerned that war crimes were being committed on both sides in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

SPORTS

• Asian Para Games 2023: India finished the campaign with 29 gold, 31 silver and 51 bronze to get 111 medals in total.
• World Cup: South Africa defeats Pakistan after 24 years with a close one-wicket victory.
• Arjun Babuta and Tilottama Sen get Olympic quota for Paris, with silver medals in air rifle in the 15th Asian shooting championship.