Environment 2: Climate Change, Pollution & Sustainable Development

Delve into the fundamental science of climate change, exploring greenhouse gases, the greenhouse effect, global warming potential, historical climate records, and the anthropogenic drivers behind global temperature rise. This module lays the scientific foundation for the course.

• Earth's Climate System and the Natural Greenhouse Effect (15 questions)
• Documenting Climate Change: Evidence and Indicators (15 questions)
• Anthropogenic Drivers of Modern Climate Change (11 questions)

Examine the wide-ranging impacts of climate change on natural systems and human societies. Cover topics like sea-level rise, extreme weather events, impacts on agriculture, water resources, public health, and biodiversity, with a special focus on regional vulnerabilities and climate justice.

• Observed Climate Change Impacts: A Global and Regional Overview (10 questions)
• Understanding Vulnerability, Exposure, and Adaptive Capacity (13 questions)
• Sectoral Impacts and Adaptation Strategies: Case Studies (10 questions)
• Climate Risk Assessment and Policy Responses (8 questions)

Explore strategies to address climate change through mitigation (reducing emissions via renewable energy, carbon capture, energy efficiency) and adaptation (building resilience to unavoidable impacts). Analyze key international agreements such as the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement, along with national climate policies and technological solutions.

• Understanding Climate Change: Mitigation Strategies (12 questions)
• Adapting to Climate Change: Resilience and Vulnerability (11 questions)
• Global Climate Governance: Policies and Agreements (10 questions)
• National Actions and Future Pathways for Climate Action (13 questions)

Investigate major forms of environmental pollution, including air pollution (sources, types, health impacts, control technologies, policies), water pollution (sources, treatment, water quality standards), and soil degradation. Discuss their causes, effects, and regulatory frameworks in India.

• Air Pollution: Sources, Impacts, and Atmospheric Phenomena (10 questions)
• Water Pollution: Contaminants, Consequences, and Control (17 questions)
• Soil Pollution, Land Degradation, and Waste Management (14 questions)

Focus on effective management of various waste streams, including municipal solid waste, plastic waste, e-waste, hazardous waste, and biomedical waste. Additionally, explore other significant pollution challenges such as noise pollution, thermal pollution, and radioactive pollution, along with their management strategies.

• Understanding Waste & Its Environmental Footprint (12 questions)
• Integrated Waste Management & Circular Economy Principles (11 questions)
• Global Pollution Challenges Beyond Waste (16 questions)

Introduce the core concepts of sustainable development, its historical evolution, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and indicators of sustainability. Examine environmental governance in India, including key environmental laws, policies, institutions like the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and the role of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

• Foundations of Sustainable Development (11 questions)
• Environmental Governance: Structures & Actors (25 questions)
• Tools, Policies & Future Directions in Sustainable Governance (12 questions)