Current Affairs Question - 14 January 2020

Explanation :

• On 9^th January, 2020, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) approved Green Credit Scheme that would allow forests to be traded as a commodity.
• The scheme allows agencies like private companies, village forest communities, etc. to identify lands for forest cultivation and ensures plantations carried out.
• After 3 years, these identified lands would be considered as compensatory forest land after meeting forest department’s criteria.
• An industry that needs forest land could approach these agencies and pay them for such forested land. This would then be transferred to the forest department and also recorded as forest land.

Impact

• Will encourage plantation by individuals outside the traditional forest area.
• Will also help in solving land acquiring issues of various industries which find it hard to acquire appropriate non-forest land.
• Will help in meeting international commitments such as Sustainable Development Goals and Nationally Determined Contributions.

Explanation :

• MARPOL refers to Marine Pollution.The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes.
• The MARPOL Convention was adopted on 2 November 1973 at IMO. The Protocol of 1978 was adopted in response to a spate of tanker accidents in 1976-1977. As the 1973 MARPOL Convention had not yet entered into force, the 1978 MARPOL Protocol absorbed the parent Convention. The combined instrument entered into force on 2 October 1983.
• The Convention includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimizing pollution from ships - both accidental pollution and that from routine operations - and currently includes six technical Annexes:
  • Annex I: Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil (entered into force 2 October 1983).
  • Annex II: Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk (entered into force 2 October 1983).
  • Annex III: Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form (entered into force 1 July 1992).
  • Annex IV: Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships (entered into force 27 September 2003).
  • Annex V: Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships (entered into force 31 December 1988).
  • Annex VI: Prevention ofAir Pollution from Ships (entered into force 19 May 2005)