UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

  The United Nations General Assembly has declared the years 2021 through 2030 the  UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration . Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/unep-sounds-alarm-air-quality-kyrgyz-capital

  The Joint Centre of the World Meteorological Organization and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, OceanOPS, is launching the Odyssey Project endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The Odyssey Project will support the Global Ocean Observing System.  OceanOPS is the international hub and centre of excellence that provides vital services in monitoring and coordinating an expanding network of global oceanographic and marine meteorological observing communities, under GOOS. GOOS is the global home of ocean observing expertise. It leads and supports a community of international, regional and national ocean observing programmes, governments, UN agencies, research organizations and individual scientists. Our Core Team of expert panels, networks, alliances and projects supported by a GOOS Office is in touch with ocean observing and forecasting around the world. It is an Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) led prog

 The United Nations Environmental Assembly is the world's highest-level decision-making body on the environment. The UN Environmental Assembly meets once every two years. Assembly was created in June 2012. The Assembly is led by a Bureau and its President. The Bureau is composed of ten Ministers of the Environment for a term of two years, and follows geographical rotations.  The Assembly is the governing body of the UN Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the successor of its Governing Council, which was composed of 58 member States. The UN Environment Assembly, with a universal membership, is now composed of 193 Member States. The Committee of Permanent Representatives is the inter-sessional intergovernmental body of the Assembly. The Committee is led by  accredited Permanent Representatives  to the UN Environment Programme, which account for 118 members. The Committee of Permanent Representatives was formally established as a subsidiary organ of the Governing Council (now t

  Microplastics are tiny plastic particles up to 5mm in diameter. Their concentration is increasing day by day in oceans.  When ingested by marine life such as birds, fish, mammals and plants, microplastics have both toxic and mechanical effects, leading to issues including reduced food intake, suffocation, behavioral changes and genetic alteration.  In addition to entering the food chain through seafood, people can inhale microplastics from the air, ingest them from water and absorb them through the skin. Microplastics have been found in various human organs, and even in the placenta of newborn babies. Cigarette filters, Clothing and textiles, Cosmetics are the sources of microplastics. UNEP's Clean Seas campaign is the biggest, most powerful global coalition devoted to ending marine plastic pollution. The Basel Convention is the only global, legally binding instrument that addresses plastic pollution. It regulates the transboundary movement of plastic waste and commits to better

It is the Africa's biggest hydroelectric power project to date. It is constructed by Ethiopia across The River Nile. Nile water is shared between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. Sudan and Egypt allege that dam will reduce the total water available from Nile. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-60451702

  Mount Etna , or simply   Etna   is an active   stratovolcano   on the east coast of   Sicily ,   Italy , in the   Metropolitan City of Catania , between the cities of   Messina   and   Catania . It lies above the convergent plate margin between the   African Plate   and the   Eurasian Plate . It is one of the tallest active volcanoes in   Europe ,   and the tallest peak in Italy south of the   Alps   with a current height (July 2021) of 3,357 m (11,014 ft),   though this varies with summit eruptions. Over a six-month period in 2021, Etna erupted so much volcanic material that its height increased by approximately 100 feet, and the southeastern crater is now the tallest part of the volcano. Etna covers an area of 1,190 km 2  (459 sq mi) with a basal circumference of 140 km (87 miles). This makes it by far the largest of the three  active volcanoes in Italy , being about two and a half times the height of the next largest,  Mount Vesuvius . Only  Mount Teide  on  Tenerife  in the  Cana

  Permafrost is any ground that remains completely frozen—32°F (0°C) or colder—for at least two years straight. These permanently frozen grounds are most common in regions with high mountains and in Earth’s higher latitudes—near the  North and South Poles . Permafrost covers large regions of the Earth. Almost a quarter of the land area in the Northern Hemisphere has permafrost underneath. Although the ground is frozen, permafrost regions are not always covered in snow. Permafrost does not have to be the first layer that is on the ground. It can be from an inch to several miles deep under the Earth's surface. It frequently occurs in ground ice, but it can also be present in non-porous bedrock. Permafrost is formed from ice holding various types of soil, sand, and rock in combination. Permafrost contains large amounts of biomass and decomposed biomass that has been stored as methane and carbon dioxide, making tundra soil a  carbon sink . As  global warming  heats the ecosystem and ca

  The   Chagos Archipelago   or   Chagos Islands   (formerly the Bassas de Chagas,   and later the Oil Islands) is a group of seven   atolls   comprising more than 60   islands   in the   Indian Ocean   about 500 kilometres (310 mi) south of the   Maldives   archipelago. This chain of islands is the southernmost   archipelago   of the   Chagos-Laccadive Ridge , a long submarine mountain range in the   Indian Ocean . [3]   In its north are the Salomon Islands, Nelson's Island and Peros Banhos; towards its south-west are the Three Brothers, Eagle, Egmont and Danger Island(s); southeast of these is   Diego Garcia , by far, the largest island. All are low-lying, save for a few extremely small instances, set around lagoons (are atolls). The Chagos was home to the  Chagossians , a  Bourbonnais Creole -speaking people, until the  United Kingdom   evicted them between 1967 and 1973  to allow the  United States  to build a  military base  on  Diego Garcia . Since 1971, only the atoll of Die

The BEEHIVE Project ( Bridging the Epidemiology and Evolution of HIV in Europe ( and Uganda )) is the project investigating why some HIV variants have worse impact on peoples's health than others. This project is funded by the European Research Council. https://www.beehive.ox.ac.uk/ Highly HIV variant variant identified in EUROPE. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00317-x https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/pressreleaseandstatementarchive/2022/february/20220207_hiv-variant

  The National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), (Deemed to be University) established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, is a premier organization dealing with capacity building and research in planning and management of education not only in India but also in South Asia. In recognition of the pioneering work done by the organization in the field of educational planning and administration, the Government of India have empowered it to award its own degrees by way of conferring it the status of Deemed to be University in August, 2006. Like any Central University, NIEPA is fully maintained by the Government of India. The National Institute has its origin dating back to 1962 when the UNESCO established the Asian Regional Centre for Educational Planners and Administrators which later became the Asian Institute of Educational Planning and Administration in 1965. After 4 years of its existence, it was taken over by the Government o

 It includes any technology that enables networked devices to exchange information and perform actions without the manual assistance of humans. It will be facilitated by Artificial Intelligence ( AI )  and machine learning ( ML ).   M2M communications refer to automated applications which involve machines or devices communicating through a network without human intervention. Sensors and communication modules are embedded within M2M devices, enabling data to be transmitted from one device to another device through wired and wireless communications networks. The main purpose of machine-to-machine technology is to tap into  sensor  data and transmit it to a network.   https://www.ibm.com/blogs/internet-of-things/what-is-m2m-technology/ https://dot.gov.in/machine-machine-communications

  Krishi UDAN Scheme was launched in August 2020, on international and national routes to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products so that it improves their value realisation. The scope of the Krishi Udaan Scheme was expanded by including more districts/airports across the country with an aim to extend benefit to the farmers. The Krishi UDAN is ongoing Scheme and agriculture products have been transported from the various destinations in the country. The Scheme is reviewed from time to time in consultation with stakeholders and appropriate course corrections, are made accordingly. Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0 was announced on 27 October 2021 enhancing the existing provisions, mainly focusing on transporting perishable food products from the hilly areas, North-Eastern States and tribal areas.  For facilitating and incentivizing movement of agri-produce by air transportation Airports Authority of India (AAI) provides full waiver of Landing, Parking, Terminal Navigational Landing Ch

  Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey is the world-renowned and internationally established global benchmarking programme measuring passenger’s satisfaction, whilst they travel through an airport, conducted by the Airports Council International (ACI). ASQ Awards recognize those airports around the world that deliver the best customer experience in the opinion of their own passengers.The ASQ programme provides the research tool and management information to better understand passengers’ views and what they want from an airport from the products and services standpoint. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1797219

  One Ocean Summit is being organised by France from 9-11 February, in Brest, France, in cooperation with the United Nations and the World Bank. The objective of the Summit is to mobilise the international community to take tangible action towards preserving and supporting healthy and sustainable ocean ecosystems. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1797302 http://oneoceansummit.fr/en/ https://www.oceandecade.org/events/76308-one-ocean-summit/

UN Compensation Commission (UNCC): It is  the Commission was established in Geneva – as a subsidiary organ of the  Security Council  under its  resolution 687  (1991) – to process claims and pay compensation for losses and damages suffered as a direct result of the Gulf War from 1990 to 1991. International Court of Justice ( ICJ ): The ICJ, also known as the “World Court”, is the highest judicial body of the United Nations.  The Court settles legal disputes submitted to it by States, in accordance with international law.  It also gives advisory opinions on legal questions referred by authorized UN organs and specialized agencies.  Judgments in disputes between States are binding.  The ICJ is composed of 15 judges and is based in The Hague in the Netherlands.   The Compensation Fund: The UN Compensation Fund was established as per Security Council  resolution 692 (1991)  to pay compensation to successful claimants. The Fund receives a percentage of the proceeds generated by the export s