1. Himalayan Cloud Observatory
• A Himalayan Cloud Observatory has been set up in Tehri district, Uttarakhand.
• The Observatory has been established in the SRT campus Badshahithaul and is currently in the testing period.
• The observatory will receive forecast and monitor cloudburst incidents in the Himalayan region and help minimise the damage.
• Cloudburst incidents are very frequent in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand, resulting in a huge loss of life.
2. Conservation of migratory species of wild animals (CMS)
• The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals (CMS) is going to be hosted by India during 15th to 22nd February, 2020 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
• India has been a Party to the CMS since 1983. The Conference of Parties (COP) is the decision-making organ of this convention.
• Also referred to as the Bonn Convention, it provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats and brings together the States through which migratory animals pass, the Range States, and lays the legal foundation for internationally coordinated conservation measures throughout a migratory range.
• CMS is only global and UN-based intergovernmental organization established exclusively for conservation and management of terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range.
3. UN chief calls for more international efforts to fight climate change
• United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for more coordinated efforts to fight climate change.
• On the sideline of a two-day summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mr. Guterre said, the international community needs more political will to undertake climate change mitigation, adaptation and climate finance activities.
• The UN chief said, they are losing the race for climate change, which could be a disaster for Africa and the world.
• He further said, Africa will pay even higher price because of the dramatic impact in the continent even though Africa doesn`t contribute much to the warming of the planet.