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Quick scan: NASA PACE mission and India's Ramsar sites
వార్తల్లో ఎందుకు?
Which State holds the most Ramsar sites? The wetlands list Prelims pairs with NASA's PACE satellite
NASA's PACE satellite studies plankton, aerosols, clouds and ocean ecosystems, helping scientists track ocean health and air quality from space.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2010; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 నిమి
NASA's PACE satellite studies plankton, aerosols, clouds and ocean ecosystems, helping scientists track ocean health and air quality from space.
Among Indian States, Tamil Nadu has the largest number of Ramsar sites, which are wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
మూలాలు: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
ముఖ్య వాస్తవాలు
Remember these
- PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) is a NASA Earth-observation satellite launched in 2024
- PACE studies ocean plankton, aerosols and clouds, helping track ocean health and air quality from space
- Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971 at Ramsar, Iran, is the treaty for conservation and wise use of wetlands
- Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance; Tamil Nadu has the largest number among Indian States
- Wetlands in India are also covered by the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017
ప్రిలిమ్స్ · మెయిన్స్
How the exam will ask it
ప్రిలిమ్స్
- PACE is a NASA mission that observes ocean colour, plankton, aerosols and clouds to study ocean ecosystems and air quality.
- A Ramsar site is a wetland designated as being of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
- Among Indian States, Tamil Nadu has the largest number of Ramsar sites.
- Wetlands designated under the Ramsar Convention are protected only through the country's own domestic laws and rules, not directly by the treaty.
మెయిన్స్
GS-III (Environment; Science and Technology): satellite remote sensing of oceans and atmosphere supports climate and ecosystem monitoring, while wetlands provide flood control, groundwater recharge and biodiversity habitat. Ramsar designation brings international recognition and the wise-use obligation, implemented in India through the Wetlands Rules, 2017. The way forward is stronger State wetland authorities, regular mapping using satellite data and community-based management.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Consider the following statements: The satellite Oceansat-2 launched by India helps in
- estimating the water vapour content in the atmosphere.
- predicting the onset of monsoons.
- monitoring the pollution of coastal waters.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
సమాధానం చూడండి
సమాధానం: D
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The National Disaster Response Fund, from which the Centre supports States in severe calamities such as drought, is provided for under which Act?
- Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
- Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897
- Disaster Management Act, 2005
- Essential Commodities Act, 1955
సమాధానం చూడండి
సమాధానం: C — Disaster Management Act, 2005 is the answer: it provides for the National Disaster Response Fund that supplements State Disaster Response Funds in severe calamities.
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