Antarctica melting or ice loss

Antarctica Ice loss :
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Cryosphere of the Earth is mainly found on the Polar regions of Arctic , Greenland and Antarctica along with mountainous glaciers  Antarctica is the largest reservoirs of ice , constitutes world 61% of freshwater, Antarctica consist of  14 million sqkm of area cover by 98% by ice.  It contains 26.5million cubic km of ice. Majority of ice cover in Antarctica is found on it's Eastern part. If all ice of Antarctica is melted then sea level will rise by 63 m.

Geographically Antarctica is divided into 3 parts : 1) East Antarctica 2) West Antarctica and 3) Peninsular Antarctica.

 Antarctica ice sheet is the largest ice cover on the earth due to global warming and climate change rate of melting is speeded up nearly 250 billion tonnes of ice melted every year .

The continent’s annual ice loss has sextupled since 1979, jumping from 40 billion tons to 250 billion tons in 2017

Global sea levels have risen by seven to eight inches since 1990, but again, researchers say this number will only increase in the coming decades. In fact, a 2013 report predicted a jump of nearly three feet by 2100 if no action is taken to significantly curb carbon output. In total, Antarctica’s ice holds a potential 187.66 feet of sea-level rise. It is contribute to 0.6mm increase in the sea level and other associated hazards such as coastal flooding, submergence of low lying island countries like Solomon and Maldives, sea surge affecting the coastal settlement ,agriculture, etc.
But the rate of melting in the anatarica varies between it's east and west. In its east ice cover area has increased due to higher precipitation and oceanic currents and eastward wind blows from land to sea. But the thickness even decreases in the east. While western part of anatartica ice sheet cover has decreased slot in last 25 years.
Solution lies is implementing the coordinated steps of Paris agreement to limit the global temperature within 2degree Celsius rise from the pre-industrial phase. To curb the carbon emissions, mitigation and adaptive steps in the vulnerable coastal areas, shifting to renewable sources of energy, green economy , protect the islands and coastal areas which are verge of lost, sustaining the livelihood of coastal communities. Climate fund collected and disbursed as soon as possible, geoengineering steps, carbon sink and sequestration build up, national action plan for climate change.etc

RARE EARTH MINERALS : production, reserves and it's uses

INDIA'S RARE EARTH MINERALS DEMAND-SUPPLY ANALYSIS : 

CURRENTLY, OVER 95% OF INDIA'S RARE EARTH'S IMPORTS COME FROM CHINA, HONGKONG AND SOUTH AFRICA. HOWEVER, THESE IMPORTS ARE INCREASING IN FUTURE DUE TO UTILISATION OF REM's IN CONVENTIONAL AND NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES ALONG WITH THORIUM-BASED NUCLEAR PROGRAMME. BESIDES, AS INDIA'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY SUCH AS HI-TECH DEVICES, HEAVY MACHINERY AND MEDICAL EQUIPMENT IS BURGEONING, DEMAND FOR THESE STRATEGIC RARE EARTH METALS.

IN 1950'S INDIA WAS ONE OF THE KEY SOURCES FOR THESE RARE EARTH'S .DESPITE HUGE RESERVE, INDIA FAILED TO UTILISE ITS RARE EARTH SECTOR DUE TO LACK OF GOVERNMENT'S FOCUS AND PROPEER MINING EXPERTISE AN D INDUSTRY. INDIAN POSITION IN THE GLOBAL REMs HARVESTING IS EVEN MORE INFERIOR THAN ANALYSED EARLIER BY VARIOUS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. INDIAN RARE EARTH'S INDUSTRY HAS GREAT POTENTIAL IN TERMS OF REMS STOCKS AND THEIR CALCULATED BUSINESS COULD CREDIT AROUND $15 BILLION ANNUALLY. 

INDIA PRIDE ITSELF OF NEARLY 6.9 MILLION METRIC TONNES OF RARE EARTHS INCLUDING MAJOR REE SUCH AS LANTHANUM, CERIUM, PRASEODYMIUM, NEODYMIUM, SAMARIUM, GADOLINIUM, YTTRIUM, AND DYSPROSIUM. DESPITE THAT, IT HAS AN ABYSMAL PRODUCTION CAPACITY OF 1800METRIC TONNES PER YEAR OUT OF 1,70,000 MT WORLDWIDE REMs PRODUCTION (ONLY 1% OF GLOBAL PRODUCTION). INDIA ALSO HOLDS WORLD'S 35% (APPROX) OF BEACH SAND MINERALS DEPOSITS INCLUDING MONAZITE, GARNET, ZIRCON, RUTILE, SILLIMANITE AND ILLMENITE THAT ARE THE PLENTIFUL SOURCES OF RARE EARTH METALS ,INCLUDING TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, THORIUM, AND PHOSPHATE OF RARE EARTHS.

ACCORDING TO ATOMIC MINERALS DIRECTORATE FOR EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH (AMDER), INDIA HOLDS OVER 1 BILLION TONNES OF THESE REE METALS. CURRENTLY, MONAZITE IS THE MAJOR SOURCE OF LIGHT REM's SUCH AS THORIUM, URANIUM, SILICON AND ALUMINIUM, TITANIUM AND ZIRCONIUM, INDIA ALSO STARTED THE PRODUCTION OF DYSPROSIUM AND NEODYMIUM FROM MONAZITE TO EXPORT TO JAPAN. INDIAN RARE EARTHS LIMITED (IREL) , A MINI-RATNA PSU AND URANIUM EXTRACTION DIVISION OF BARC, HOLDS CONTROL OVER THE COUNTRY'S RARE EARTH AND RESPONSIBLE FOR MINING AND VALORIZATION OF THESE RARE EARTH METALS.

THE IREL REALISE AN ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF EXPORT OF DYSPROSIUM TO INTERNATIONAL MARKET AND THORIUM FOR 3RD STAGE NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS OF INDIA HELPS TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS. BUT NO MAJOR SUCCESS COMES TO ITS WAY YET EXCEPT, KAMINI REACTOR AND ADVANCED HEAVY WATER REACTOR AT TARAPUR UNDER CONSTRUCTION. BESIDES MONAZITE, INDIA IS ALSO PRODUCING ZIRCONIUM AND TITANIUM BASSED ALLOYS FROM BEACH SAND MINERALS AS INDIA OWNS LARGE RESERVES OF TITANIUM AND ZIRCONIUM. IT IS USED FOR BUILDING OF NUCLEAR GRADE ZIRCONIUM ALLOY THAT IS EMPLOYED FOR MAKING NUCLEAR FUEL ASSEMBLIES, WHILE GRADE TITANIUM ALLOY IS CRITICAL INGRADIENT FOR MILITARY HARDWARES SUCH AS MISSILES, COMBAT JETS, WARSHIPS AND SUBMARINES FOR IMPRESSIVE STRENGTH AND LIGHT WEIGHT. INDIA ALSO DESIGN SAMARIUM-COBALT MAGNETS (R&D). BARC IS AT ADVANCED STAGE OF DEVELOPING Sm-Co MAGNETS. BY 2018, IREL IS SETTING UP 3000KG SM-CO MAGNET MANUFACTURING FACILITY.

OTHER MAJOR AGENCIES RELATED TO RARE EARTH MINERALS ARE THE ATOMIC MINERAL DIVISION (AMD) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY (DAE) AND THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA (GSI). A JV OF VIKRAM SARABHAI SPACE CENTRE (VSSC) AND DEFENCE METALLURGICAL RESEARCH LABORATORY (DMRL) WAS ALSO FORMED TO DEVELOP PARMANENT MAGNETS FOR THE USE INDIAN ROCKETS AND SATELLITES. HOWEVER, INDIA IS CURRENTLY LIMITED TO THE EXTRACTION OF NEODYMIUM BUT BY ADOPTING AN EMPIRICAL STRATEGY, INDIA COULD OBTAIN TOKYO NdFeB MAGNETS IN EXCHANGE OF RAW MATERIALS (IN 2014, IREL AND JAPAN'S TOYOTA TSUSHO EXPLORATION ENETERED INTO AN AGREEMENT TO EXPLORE AND PRODUCE REM via DEEP SEA MINING). 

THREE INDIAN OWNED ORGANISATION NALCO, HCL & MINERAL EXPLORATION CORPORATION LIMITED (MECL) HAVE ESTABLISED A JOINT VENTURE NAMED KHAIJ BIDESH INDIA LIMTED TO EXPLORE , ACQUIRE AND REFINE STRATEGIC RARE EARTH MINERALS PRIMARILY IN LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES. THIS MOVE, BESIDES ITS STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE. WILL ALSO PROVIDE THRUST TO INDIA'S ELECTRIC VEHICLES (EV) MISSION 2030.  TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, INDIA NEEDS A NATIONAL LEVEL STRATEGY TO EXPLORE, EXTRACT AND VALORIZE THESE RARE EARTH METALS. THE INVESTMENT, MARKET AND INDIA'S HUGE RESERVES OF RAW MATERIALS MAKE R&D SEGMENT A HIGHLY VALUABLE AND BOOST THE DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE NUMBER OF STRATEGIC HI-TECH PRODUCTS AND INDSTRIES. SO, DEVELOPING AN ECOSYSTEM WITH MINING EXPERTISE TO EXTRACT THESE MINERALS MAKES MORE SENSE THAT EVENTUALLY WILL HELP INDIA TO GETA PLACE IN THE GLOBAL REM'S SUPPLY CHAIN. IT WOULD ALSO STIMULATE GEOPOLITICAL POSTURING OF THE COUNTRY. 

THE RARE EARTHS MARKET IS EXPECTED TO GROW AT A COMPOUND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF AROUND 8% DURING 2019-2024. DOMESTIC R&D AND ADEQUATE FUND LIQUIDITY IN THE PRODUCTION OF REMs COULD CREATE A POTENTIAL AVENUE FOR ESTABLISHING THE RARE EARTH MINERAL INDUSTRY.

 

Blue economy and India

Blue economy and India:—
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According to world bank the  blue economy is the "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem." According to European commissions “ All economic activities related to oceans, seas and coasts”. 
The concept of blue economy was introduced by GUNTER PAULI in his book “ The blue economy: 10 years ,100 million jobs”. The Blue Economy includes :-

• It encompasses–
  • Renewable Energy: Sustainable marine energy can play a vital role in social and economic development.
  • Fisheries: Sustainable fisheries can generate more revenue, more fish and help restore fish stocks.
  • Maritime Transport: Over 80% of international goods traded are transported by sea.
  • Tourism: Ocean and coastal tourism can bring jobs and economic growth.
  • Climate Change: Oceans are an important carbon sink (blue carbon) and help mitigate climate change.
  • Waste Management: Better waste management on land can help oceans recover.
• Blue Economy emphasizes on integration of development of ocean economy with social inclusion, environmental sustainability, combined with innovative business model.
• This is reflected in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14), which calls to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Need for Blue Economy

• Oceans cover three-quarters of the Earth’s surface, contain 97% of the Earth’s water, and represent 99% of the living area on the planet.
• Oceans protect biodiversity, keep the planet cool, and absorb about 30% of global CO2 emissions.
• At least 3-5% of global GDP is derived from oceans.
• Blue economy, through sustainable use of oceans, has great potential for boosting the economic growth by providing opportunities for income generation and jobs etc.
• It can support food security, and diversification to address new resources for energy, new drugs valuable chemicals, protein food, deep sea minerals, security etc.
• It is the next sunrise sector.
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Challenges

• Threat of sea borne terror – piracy and armed robbery, maritime terrorism, illicit trade in crude oil, arms, drug and human trafficking and smuggling of contraband etc.
• Natural Disasters – every year tsunamis, cyclones, hurricanes typhoons etc leave thousands of people stranded and property worth millions destroyed.
• Man-Made problems – Oil spills, climate change continue to risk the stability of the maritime domain.
• Impact of climate change – changes in sea temperature, acidity, threaten marine life, habitats, and the communities that depend on them.
• Marine pollution – in form of excess nutrients from untreated sewerage, agricultural runoff, and marine debris such as plastics
• Overexploitation of marine resources – illegal, unreported, and unregulated extraction of marine resources.

Blue Economy for India

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  The Indian Ocean’s waters reach 28 countries, together accounting for about 35% of the world’s population and 19% of the gross domestic product. And given this connection, the Indian Ocean has emerged as an important trading channel. The region also hosts 23 of the world’s busiest ports and accounts for 13% of world trade. A significant proportion of this trade is among countries in the region (30% of all exports and 25% of imports). However, this is still lower compared with other regions, such as the European Union and NAFTA. Nevertheless, the authors are optimistic about the region’s future. 
  With increased trade and economic growth, they predict that the region’s economy will account for about 22% of world GDP by 2025 and 16% of global trade. However, these projections are susceptible to potential obstacles. 
  The authors highlight gaps in port infrastructure and customs procedures, which can act as barriers to trade. Regional governance is also weak. Currently, there is a network of 11 regional institutions, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association, which covers the majority of Indian Ocean economies, but, according to the authors, they suffer from limited powers and inadequate resources. To ensure that the Indian Ocean economy delivers on its potential, the authors suggest that policymakers invest in port development, reduce barriers to trade, strengthen regional governance and establish an Indian Ocean Development Fund to help developing countries participate in trade.
• Blue economy presents India with an unprecedented opportunity to meet its national socio-economic objectives as well as strengthen connectivity with neighbors.
• Blue Economy can help in focusing on livelihood generation, achieving energy security, building ecological resilience, and improving health and living standards of coastal communities.
• Blue economy would reinforce and strengthen the efforts of the Indian government as it strives to achieve the SDGs of hunger and poverty eradication along with sustainable use of marine resources by 2030.
• India has a long coastline of 7,517 km covering nine states and two union territories – with an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 2.02 mn. sq.km.
• Marine services sector could serve as the backbone of its blue economy and help India become 10 trillion dollar economy by 2022.
• Indian Ocean is a major conduit of trade with as much as 80% of global oil trade happening through it.
• Better connectivity in the region will significantly cut the transport cost and maritime wastage of resources making the trade sustainable and cost effective.

Developments Initiated by India

• The Sagarmala project is the strategic initiative for port-led development through the extensive use of IT enabled services for modernization of ports.

Sagarmala Project 

• Project aims at developing Inland waterways and coastal shipping which will revolutionize maritime logistics, creating million new jobs, reduce logistics costs etc.
• It focuses on the development of coastal communities and people in the sustainable use of ocean resources, modern fishing techniques and coastal tourism.

• India has an umbrella scheme by the name of O-SMART which aims at regulated use of oceans, marine resources for sustainable development.
• Integrated Coastal Zone Management focuses on conservation of coastal and marine resources, and improving livelihood opportunities for coastal communities etc.
• Development of Coastal Economic Zones (CEZ) under Sagarmala would become a microcosm of the blue economy, wherein industries and townships that depend on the sea will contribute to global trade.
• India has a National Fisheries policy for promoting 'Blue Growth Initiative' which focus on sustainable utilization of fisheries wealth from the marine and other aquatic resources.

Way Forward

• India should look to adopt the Gandhian approach of balancing economic benefits with sustainability for meeting the broader goals of growth, employment generation, equity and protection of environment.
• India must focus on marine ICTs, and transport (shipping) and communication services, and the creation of a knowledge hub for marine research and development.
• An effective response mechanism to address humanitarian crises and natural disasters should be made for the evolving Indian Ocean security strategy.
• India should not look at its oceans as just water bodies, but as global stage for continued economic, social, and cultural dialogue.
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