Semeru Volcano of Indonesia:
In East Java, Indonesia, the Semeru volcano erupted. Recently, other volcanoes have also erupted, including Merapi (Java) and Sinabung (Sumatra).
Key Facts about Semeru Volcano:
♦ Semeru (also known as "The Great Mountain") is one of the most active volcanoes and is the highest volcano in Java. It had previously exploded in December 2019.
♦ Indonesia boasts the world`s largest number of active volcanoes. It is vulnerable to earthquakes as it is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
♦ A part of the island arc is the Semeru volcano. It is formed by subduction below the Sunda plate of the Indo-Australian plate (part of the Eurasian plate). The trench built here is called the Sunda trench, and the Java trench is its main component.
Uncontrolled Flow Of Untreated Industrial Wastewater Increases Pollution In Gujarat Rivers:
In the rivers of Gujarat, untreated industrial waste water flows without regulation, leading to increased pollution in Sabarmati, Mahisagar, Narmada, Vishwamitri and Bhadar.
Highlights:
♦ Sabarmati is one of the most polluted rivers in the world, according to data from the Ministry of the Environment and Forests (MoEF).
♦ With as many as 20 rivers in the seriously polluted category, Gujarat is ranked fourth among the top five states with the most polluted rivers.
♦ According to official parameters, it should not be released into the river if the chemical oxygen demand (COD) reflecting the load of organic contaminants is higher than 250 mg per liter.
♦ Much of the Gujarat River`s waste water is pumped into it, with a degree of demand for chemical oxygen of 700 to 1,000 milligrams per liter.
♦ Although the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) (indicating the health of the water) should be in the range of 6 to 8 mg per liter of a perennial river like Mahisgar, it is currently less than 2.9 mg per liter.
Great Green Wall for Sahel and Sahara:
The "Great Sahel Green Wall and Sahara Desert Initiative" obtained US$14 billion in funding during the "One Planet Biodiversity Summit." The funds will be used to preserve depleted property, improve resilience, build green jobs and safeguard biodiversity. The World Bank has pledged 5 billion US dollars to financial institutions, the African Development Bank has pledged 6.5 billion US dollars, and the French government pledged 14 billion US dollars.
Highlights:
♦ By planting trees, vegetation, grasslands and plants 8,000 kilometers long and 15 kilometers high, the `Green Wall` project aims to improve the lives of 100 million Africans.
♦ The Great Green Wall is an African leaders` project. The African Union launched this program in 2007 to fight desertification, land loss and drought. By 2030, the project`s aim is to regenerate 100 million hectares of degraded land. The Great Wall Green Wall Project has restored just 4 million hectares of land from 2007 to 2019 so far.
♦ The goal of the initiative is to store 250 million tons of carbon and produce 10 million green jobs. It will promote the planting of fertile land for African communities and improve economic opportunities for the youngest population. In places where the temperature increases faster than the rest of the world, the project would help create climate resilience.
♦ 15 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals will be contributed to by the Great Wall Green Wall Initiative. Achieving land neutrality by 2030 is the key objective of the United Nations Convention to Fight Desertification. The "Green Wall Great Wall" project would also assist in achieving this objective.