Hazards, Policies, and Agreements
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To combat the myriad environmental crises discussed thus far, national governments and the international community have forged specific legal and policy frameworks. Memorizing the scope and target of these protocols is perhaps the highest-yield activity for Unit 9.
1. National Frameworks
- Environmental Protection Act (1986): Enacted by the Indian Parliament in the wake of the devastating 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy. It acts as an "umbrella" legislation designed to provide a framework for Central Government coordination of environmental protection.
- Natural Hazards Mitigation: Handled primarily by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Mitigation involves structural measures (building earthquake-resistant infrastructure) and non-structural measures (early warning systems for cyclones off the Bay of Bengal).
2. International Agreements & Protocols
| Agreement / Protocol | Year | Primary Target / Objective |
|---|---|---|
| Montreal Protocol | 1987 | Ozone Depletion: An agreement to phase out the production of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) like Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). It is widely considered the most successful environmental treaty in history. |
| Rio Summit (Earth Summit) | 1992 | Produced the Agenda 21, a comprehensive blueprint for global sustainable development. Also led to the UNFCCC (Framework Convention on Climate Change) and the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity). |
| Kyoto Protocol | 1997 | Greenhouse Gases: Operationalized the UNFCCC by committing industrialized countries and economies in transition to limit and reduce GHG emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. |
| Paris Agreement | 2015 | Climate Change: A legally binding international treaty to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. |
| International Solar Alliance (ISA) | 2015 | A joint initiative by India and France to massively scale up solar energy generation in countries located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. |
💡 UGC NET Strategy
DO NOT CONFUSE MONTREAL AND KYOTO. Montreal = Ozone Layer (CFCs). Kyoto = Climate Change (Greenhouse Gases). This distinction is tested almost every year.
Academic References
- United Nations. (1987). Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
- United Nations. (2015). Paris Agreement.