India Hosts 46th ATCM and 26th Meeting of CEP in 2024 | 06 May 2024
Why in News?
India, through the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), is set to host the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM 46) and the 26th Meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP 26) in Kochi, Kerala, from 20th to 30th May 2024.
- This reflects India's commitment to global dialogue on environmental stewardship and scientific collaboration in Antarctica.
What is the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM)?
- About:
- ATCM is an annual meeting of the original 12 parties to the Antarctic Treaty, and other parties that have shown interest in Antarctica through research.
- The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 and established Antarctica as a region dedicated to peaceful purposes, scientific cooperation, and environmental protection.
- Over the years, the Treaty has garnered widespread support, with 56 countries currently party to it.
- India has been a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty since 1983. In 2022, India enacted the Antarctic Act, reaffirming its commitment to the Antarctic Treaty.
- The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 and established Antarctica as a region dedicated to peaceful purposes, scientific cooperation, and environmental protection.
- From 1961 to 1994 the ATCM generally met once every two years, but since 1994 the meetings have occurred annually.
- ATCM is an annual meeting of the original 12 parties to the Antarctic Treaty, and other parties that have shown interest in Antarctica through research.
- 46th ATCM Agenda:
- It covers strategic planning for sustainable management of Antarctica and its resources, policy, legal, biodiversity prospecting, inspections and exchange of information and data, research, collaboration, capacity building and cooperation, addressing climate change impacts, development of tourism framework, and promoting awareness.
- India's Engagement in the ATCM:
- India as a Consultative Party, participates in the decision-making process alongside other Consultative Parties.
- Antarctic Research Stations:
- Establishment: Its first Antarctic research station, Dakshin Gangotri, in 1983.
- India operates two year-round research stations in Antarctica: Maitri (1989) and Bharati (2012).
- Indian Scientific Expeditions to Antarctica have been conducted annually since 1981.
- Establishment: Its first Antarctic research station, Dakshin Gangotri, in 1983.
What is the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP)?
- About:
- The CEP was established under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol) in 1991.
- The CEP advises the ATCM on environmental protection and conservation in Antarctica.
- ATCM and CEP are pivotal in the international community's ongoing efforts to safeguard Antarctica's fragile ecosystem and promote scientific research in the region.
- Convened annually under the Antarctic Treaty System, these meetings serve as forums for Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties and other stakeholders to address Antarctica's pressing environmental, scientific, and governance issues.
- 26th CEP Agenda:
- It focuses on evaluating the Antarctic environment, assessing impacts, managing and reporting; responding to climate change; developing area protection and management plans, including marine spatial protection; and conserving Antarctic biodiversity.
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol) in 1991
- Protocol designates Antarctica as a “natural reserve, devoted to peace and science”.
- It sets basic principles for human activities in Antarctica and prohibits mineral resource activities, except for scientific research.
- The Protocol can only be modified by unanimous agreement of all Consultative Parties until 2048, and the prohibition on mineral resource activities cannot be removed without a binding legal regime.
- The Protocol builds upon the Antarctic Treaty and Recommendations to extend and improve the Treaty's effectiveness in protecting the Antarctic environment.
National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR)
- NCPOR is an autonomous institution established in 1998, under MoES.
- India’s scientific and strategic endeavours in the polar regions (the Arctic and Antarctic), the Himalayas, and the Southern Ocean are under the NCPOR in Goa.
Read more: India's New Post Office in Antarctica
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)
Prelims:
Q. On 21st June, the Sun (2019)
(a) does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle
(b) does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle
(c) shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator
(d) shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn
Ans: (a)
Q. The formation of ozone hole in the Antarctic region has been a cause of concern. What could be the reason for the formation of this hole? (2011)
(a) Presence of prominent tropospheric turbulence; and inflow of chlorofluorocarbons
(b) Presence of prominent polar front and stratospheric clouds; and inflow of chlorofluorocarbons
(c) Absence of polar front and stratospheric clouds; and inflow of methane and chlorofluorocarbons
(d) Increased temperature at polar region due to global warming
Ans: (b)
Mains:
Q. How do the melting of the Arctic ice and glaciers of the Antarctic differently affect the weather patterns and human activities on the Earth? Explain.(2021)