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Glossary Terms
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Climate Change | Long-term shifts in global temperature and weather patterns, primarily due to human GHG emissions | Highest PYQ topic |
| Greenhouse Effect | Trapping of outgoing infrared radiation by atmospheric GHGs; without it Earth = -18°C | Climate change basis |
| CO₂ Equivalent | Common unit expressing warming potential of different GHGs in CO₂ terms | GHG comparison |
| NDC | Nationally Determined Contribution — each country's Paris Agreement climate pledge | Paris Agreement |
| Net Zero | State where GHG emitted = GHG removed from atmosphere (India target: 2070) | India's NDC |
| Ozone Layer | High-ozone stratospheric zone (15–35 km) absorbing UV-B/C radiation | PYQ 2023 — 10 marks |
| CFCs | Main ODS; from refrigerants/aerosols; 1 Cl destroys 100,000 O₃ molecules | PYQ 2023 cause |
| Montreal Protocol | 1987 universal treaty phasing out ODS; 99% success; most effective env treaty | PYQ 2023 solution |
| Biodiversity | Variety of life at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels | Biodiversity Q |
| IUCN Red List | World's most comprehensive species conservation status database | 2024: 44,016 threatened |
| 6th Mass Extinction | Current biodiversity crisis; 100–1,000× natural extinction rate due to human activity | Biodiversity crisis |
| Deforestation | Permanent removal of forests; 4.7M ha/year net global loss | Biodiversity + climate |
| Desertification | Degradation of dryland due to overuse and climate change; affects 40% of land | UNCCD 1994 |
| Ocean Acidification | pH drop (8.2→8.1, 26% more acidic) as oceans absorb 30% of CO₂; threatens coral | Marine ecosystem Q |
| Coral Bleaching | Coral expelling zooxanthellae due to thermal stress; 2024 4th global mass bleaching | Climate impact Q |
| Sea Level Rise | 20 cm since 1900; 3.7 mm/year current; threatens Maldives, Tuvalu, coastal cities | Climate impact Q |
| Microplastics | Plastic fragments <5 mm; found in Mariana Trench, human blood, Arctic snow | Plastic pollution Q |
| REDD+ | Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation — UN mechanism paying nations to protect forests | Forest conservation |
| CBD | Convention on Biological Diversity (1992); three objectives: conservation, sustainable use, ABS | Biodiversity treaty |
| Kunming-Montreal GBF | Global Biodiversity Framework (COP15, 2022); "30×30" protect 30% land+ocean by 2030 | Biodiversity Q |
| NAPCC | National Action Plan on Climate Change, India, 2008; 8 missions including Solar Mission | India climate action |
| Tipping Point | Threshold beyond which climate/ecosystem change becomes self-sustaining and irreversible | Amazon, ice sheets |
| UNFCCC | UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992, Rio); foundation of climate law; 197 parties | Climate action basis |
| UNCCD | UN Convention to Combat Desertification (1994); addresses land degradation in drylands | Desertification Q |
| Loss and Damage | Climate finance mechanism (established COP27, 2022) compensating vulnerable nations for unavoidable climate impacts | Paris Agreement extension |
Sources: IPCC AR6 (2021–2022); WMO State of Global Climate 2023; UNEP Ozone Secretariat; IUCN Red List 2024; WWF Living Planet Report 2022; CBD Secretariat; India NDC 2022; NAPCC 2008; RPSC Mains PYQ 2013–2023; India State of Forest Report 2021.