Environment and Sustainable Development

Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. Hence it includes adverse change brought in by human activities. So all the options are correct.

Weathering is a term which describes the general process by which rocks are broken down at the Earth's surface into such things as sediments, clays, soils and substances that are dissolved in water. The process of weathering typically begins when the earth's crust is uplifted by tectonic forces. After the physical breakup and chemical decay of exposed rocks by weathering, the loosened rock fragments and alterations products are carried away through the process of erosion.

Poverty alleviation is not related to environmental protection. Major current environmental issues may include climate change, pollution, environmental degradation, and resource depletion.

Sustainable Development Goals were proposed in 2012 at Rio+20. Hence statement 1 is not correct. The Sustainable Development Goals are officially known as 'Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These are a set of seventeen aspirational "Global Goals" with 169 targets among them. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Sustainable development is how we must live today if we want a better tomorrow, by meeting present needs without compromising the chances of future generations to meet their needs. Unsustainable development happens when people pursue immediate rewards without thinking about harms to other people or the planet. Where development is sustainable, everyone has access to decent work, quality health care and education.

India has been ranked 116th out of 157 nations with a score of 58.1 at the 2017 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) index and Dashboards Report that assesses the performance of countries towards achieving the ambitious SDGs. Sweden has topped the list, followed by Denmark and Finland.

According to NITI Aayog's Index-2020 top-5 states and respective scores are following.

Sustainable Development Goal) India Index 2019-20, released by NITI Aayog, was launched on December 30th, 2019. Kerala achieved the first rank in the Index with a score of 70 followed by Himachal Pradesh (69). Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana were ranked at the third position with the score of 67. In July 2021, the third edition of SDG India Index 2020-21 was released, with a composite score of 75, Kerala topped the NITI Aayog's Index. Second and third position was obtained by Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu respectively.

Sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fibre or other plants or other animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities and animal welfare. In short, it is proper utilization of the land without affecting the environment so that it's quality remain intact. Use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has adversely affected soil health. To cope up with this, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) has been formulated for enhancing agricultural productivity, water use efficiency, promoting nutrient management, and livelihood diversification through the adoption of sustainable development pathways.

Sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fibre or other plants or other animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities and animal welfare. In short, it is proper utilization of the land without affecting the environment so that it's quality remain intact. Use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has adversely affected soil health. To cope up with this, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) has been formulated for enhancing agricultural productivity, water use efficiency, promoting nutrient management, and livelihood diversification through the adoption of sustainable development pathways.

The United Nations has identified 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals-SDGs) which have to be realised by the year 2030. Among these goals SDG-6 "Clean Water and Sanitation" ensures availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Today, 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, and more than 4.2 billion people lack safely managed sanitation.

NITI (National Institution for Transformation India) Aayog is a Nodal Institution for coordination and implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in India.

Mixed cropping, organic manures, nitrogen-fixing plants and pest resistant crop varieties are the best strategy for environment-friendly sustainable development in Indian agriculture.

International Conference held in Rio-De-Janeiro in 1992 was the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to help tackle our planet's most pressing environmental problems. GEF is an international partnership of 186 countries and 18 implementing agencies that address global environmental issues. It is a financial mechanism for five major international conventions: the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. GEF supports multi-stakeholder alliance to preserve threatened ecosystems on land and in the oceans, build green cities, boost food security for a more prosperous, climate resilient world. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez is presently the C Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility.

Agenda 21 is a non-binding, voluntarily implementation action plan of the United Nations on Sustainable Development. It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) held in Rio-De-Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The first Earth Summit by United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development was held in Rio-De-Janeiro in 1992. In 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development was also held in Rio and is also commonly called Rio+20 or Rio Earth Summit 2012.

Rio+20 is the short name for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. This conference took place in Brazil in June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio-De-Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg.

In 1992, more than 100 heads of states met in Rio-de-Janeiro, Brazil for the first International Earth Summit. This summit was convened to address urgent problems of environmental protection and socio-economic development. The assembled leaders signed the convention on climate change and convention of Biodiversity, endorsed the Rio-Declaration and the Forest Principles and adopted Agenda 21 for achieving sustainable development in the 21" century. The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created to monitor and report on the implementation of the Earth Summit Agreement. It was agreed that a five-year review of Earth Summit progress would be made in 1997 by the United Nations General Assembly meeting in special session. Accordingly, a special session of UN General Assembly was held from 23-27 June, 1997 in New York to take stock of how well countries, international organizations and sectors of civil society have responded to the challenge of the Earth Summit. This meeting was known as Earth Summit +5. Notably, Rio +10 summit was held in Johannesburg in 2002 and Rio +20 was held in Rio-De-Janeiro in 2012.

Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the Statement of Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests were adopted by more than 178 Governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil,3 to 14 June, 1992. The full implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for Further Implementation on Agenda 21 and the Commitments to the Rio principles, were strongly reaffirmed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 26 August to 4 September, 2002.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) also known as Rio 2012, Rio+20 or Earth Summit 2012 was the third international conference on sustainable development hosted by Brazil in Rio-de-Janeiro. The primary result of the conference was the non-binding document " The future we want" a 49-page action plan.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) also known as Rio 2012, Rio+20 or Earth Summit 2012 was the third international conference on sustainable development hosted by Brazil in Rio-de-Janeiro. The primary result of the conference was the non-binding document " The future we want" a 49-page action plan.

In 2012, Rio +20 (the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development) was held in Brazil. The conference's outcome document entitled 'The Future We Want' was a call to action for governments, businesses and the UN alike to support countries interested in the transition to a green economy. PAGE (Partnership for Action on Green Economy) was created as the UN's direct response to this call of action.