CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -According to the Indian State Forest Report 2021, Mangrove cover in India is 4992 sq. Km which is 0.15% of the country’s total geographical area. Largest Mangrove Forest: Sundarbans in West Bengal are the largest mangrove forest regions in the world. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Sundarbans Reserve Forest (SRF), located in the south-west of Bangladesh between the river Baleswar in the East and the Harinbanga in the West, adjoining to the Bay of Bengal, is the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world.

Detailed explanation-3: -With an aim to improve the pace and scale of mangrove conservation, as well as restoration, across the world, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), along with Indonesia, took the initiative to form the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) at the COP27 summit in Egypt.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Pichavaram Mangrove Forest near Chidambaram is the world’s second largest mangrove forest. Pichavaram mangrove forest is located between two prominent estuaries, the Vellar estuary in the north and Coleroon estuary in the south.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) is an initiative pioneered by the United States of Emirates (UAE) and Indonesia. It was later joined by India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Japan, and Spain. The alliance was launched during COP27 in Egypt. This is an intergovernmental alliance with no binding targets.