International Environmental Conventions — Practice Questions
UPSC Prelims-pattern practice questions on environmental conventions with explanations: CITES, Nagoya Protocol, chronology of treaties, Rio conventions and Montreal Protocol.
Questions
These are original UPSC-pattern practice questions. Attempt each one before revealing the answer.
With reference to CITES, consider the following statements:
- Species threatened with extinction are listed in Appendix I, and commercial trade in them is generally prohibited.
- CITES is legally binding on its parties but does not take the place of national laws.
- The CITES secretariat is located in Nairobi.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statements 1 and 2 are correct — CITES binds its parties but each must implement it through domestic law (India did so through the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022). Statement 3 is incorrect — the CITES secretariat is in Geneva, administered by UNEP; Nairobi is UNEP’s headquarters.
Answer: B
The Nagoya Protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity deals with:
Solution
The Nagoya Protocol (2010, in force 2014) deals with access and benefit sharing. Option B is the Cartagena Protocol, option C is CITES, and option D is the CMS (Bonn Convention).
Answer: A
Arrange the following international environmental agreements in chronological order of adoption:
- Montreal Protocol
- Ramsar Convention
- Kyoto Protocol
- Minamata Convention
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Solution
Ramsar — 1971; Montreal — 1987; Kyoto — 1997; Minamata — 2013. Order: 2-1-3-4.
Answer: D
How many of the following are counted among the three “Rio Conventions”?
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Convention on Biological Diversity
- United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
- Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
Solution
The three Rio Conventions — UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD — derive from the 1992 Earth Summit. The Ramsar Convention (1971) predates Rio by two decades. That makes three.
Answer: C
Consider the following statements about the Montreal Protocol:
- It was the first treaty in the history of the United Nations to achieve universal ratification.
- Hydrofluorocarbons were brought under it through the Kigali Amendment because they are major ozone-depleting substances.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is incorrect — HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer; they replaced ozone-depleting substances. They were brought under the Protocol by the Kigali Amendment (2016) because they are potent greenhouse gases.
Answer: A
What is the significance of the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) for global ocean governance and for India?
Solution
Introduction: The BBNJ Agreement, adopted at the United Nations in June 2023 under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, is the first comprehensive framework for conserving and sustainably using biodiversity on the high seas — areas beyond any country’s exclusive economic zone.
Body:
- Key elements: marine genetic resources and benefit sharing; area-based management tools including marine protected areas; environmental impact assessments for activities on the high seas; capacity building and transfer of marine technology.
- Global significance:
- Fills a governance gap over the global commons, which face overfishing, pollution and climate stress.
- Enables high-seas protected areas, supporting the “30 by 30” target of the Kunming-Montreal framework.
- Treats benefits from marine genetic resources as something to be shared, reflecting equity concerns of developing countries.
- Significance for India: a long coastline and growing blue economy; interest in fair access to marine genetic resources and technology; scientific capacity through deep-ocean programmes; a voice for the Global South in ocean governance.
- Challenges: ratification and implementation; relationship with existing regional fisheries and seabed bodies; monitoring and enforcement at sea.
Conclusion: The BBNJ Agreement extends environmental rule of law to the largest ecosystem on Earth; its value will depend on wide ratification and effective institutions.