Class 12 Political Science Chapter 8 Environment and Natural Resources
If you are a Class XII student searching for high-quality AHSEC Class 12 Political Science Chapter 8 Environment and Natural Resources Notes to improve your exam performance, then this Ready Guide is for you. It includes all the important question-answers prepared by a team of experts. Our language is very easy to understand and remember. Begin your study journey with us for a bright future.
Selected Questions-Answers
1. Very Short Questions and Answers: (Marks: 1 each)
(a) What is meant by environment?
Ans: Environment refers to water, air, land, and the interrelationshipamong these elements along with other living beings such as animals andorganisms.
(b) What are natural resources?
Ans: Resources that can be obtained from the natural environment arecalled natural resources.
(c) On which date is World Environment Day observed?
Ans: 5 June.
(d) Mention one cause of environmental pollution.
Ans: Industrialization.
(e) When was the Stockholm Conference on the environment held?
Ans: In 1972.
(f) When did India sign the Kyoto Protocol? H.S. ’13
Ans: In August 2002.
(g) When was the Rio Conference held?
Ans: In 1992.
(h) Mention the name of one movement associated with environmental protection.
Ans: The Chipko Movement.
(i) Which Article of the Indian Constitution directs the governmentto protect and improve the environment, forests, and wildlife?
Ans: Article 48A.
(j) In which year was the United Nations Framework Conventionon Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted?
Ans: In 1992.
(k) Which commission defined sustainable development in 1987?H.S. ’17, ’19
Ans: The Brundtland Commission.
(l) What is the Kyoto Protocol? With which environmental problemis it associated?
Ans: The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that sets binding targetsfor industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is associatedwith the problem of climate change.
(m) What is the “Earth Summit”?
Ans: The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in June 1992 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is known as the Earth Summit.
(n) State whether the following is true or false: “The Rio Conferenceadopted an ‘Agenda 21’-point action plan.”
Ans: True.
(o) What is the full form of UNEP?
Ans: United Nations Environment Programme.
(p) What is the full form of UNFCCC?
Ans: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
(q) What is the First World known as?
Ans: The Global North.
(r) How many countries participated in the 1992 Earth Summit?
Ans: 170 countries.
(s) What is the 21-point programme? H.S. ’14
Ans: At the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, 21 majorproposals were adopted regarding climate change, biodiversity, afforestation, and related issues. This is known as the 21-point programme (Agenda 21).
(t) In which year was the World Council of Indigenous Peoplesformed?
Ans: In 1975.
(u) What is meant by greenhouse gas emission? H.S. ’19
Ans: Carbon dioxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and other gasesemitted from industries established by countries increase the temperature ofthe atmosphere. The emission of such gases is called greenhouse gas emission.
(v) Fill in the blank: The Earth Summit was held in ______ in the year ______.
Ans: Rio de Janeiro, 1992.
(w) What is meant by greenhouse gases? H.S. ’15
Ans: Greenhouse gases refer to gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrofluorocarbons emitted mainly from industrial activities, whichcontribute to global warming.
2. Short Questions and Answers: (Marks: 2 each)
(a) What is meant by common property resources?
Ans: Common property resources refer to those resources that are collectively used or enjoyed by a group, community, or society. For example, rivers, lakes, mountains, and parks.
(b) What is meant by indigenous people?
Ans: According to the definition advanced by the United Nations, indigenous people are descendants of those who originally inhabited aterritory and were later dominated or displaced by people of different culturesor ethnic groups from other parts of the world.
(c) Name two gases responsible for global warming.
Ans: Carbon dioxide and methane.
(d) Give two examples of global commons. H.S. ’13
Ans: (1) The Earth’s climate and (2) The continent of Antarctica.
(e) What is meant by geopolitics of resources? Name two resourcesrelevant in world politics.
Ans: The geopolitics of resources refers to the politics concerning whocontrols, how much, where, and in what manner global resources are used.
Examples include disputes over the Farakka Barrage between India andBangladesh, and the Cauvery River dispute between the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Two important resources in world politics are mineral oil (petroleum) andwater.
(f) Why have environmental issues become important in worldpolitics?
Ans: Environmental issues have become important in world politicsbecause environmental degradation poses a serious threat to the existence ofhuman civilization. Problems such as global warming, drought, and climatechange have emerged due to environmental decline.
3. Medium-Length Questions and Answers: (Marks: 4 each)(a) What are global commons? Mention two ways to conserve them. H.S. ’17
Or
What is meant by “common but differentiated responsibilities”?Discuss briefly.
Ans: Global commons refer to resources that are collectively used orshared by all, such as rivers, lakes, mountains, parks, and the global climate.
Two measures to conserve these resources are:
(1) Cooperation and consensus between countries of the Global Northand Global South to solve environmental problems collectively.
(2) Reducing pollution and population pressure in coastal and ecologically sensitive regions.
The developed countries emphasize equal responsibility of all nations insolving environmental problems. However, developing countries argue that since they are less industrialized, their contribution to environmental degradation is lower; therefore, developed countries should bear greaterresponsibility. This principle was accepted at the Rio Conference in 1992under the idea of “common but differentiated responsibilities.”
(b) What were the decisions or outcomes of the Rio Conference?
Ans: The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. Its major outcomes were:
(1) Countries agreed to cooperate for the protection, conservation, andimprovement of the global environment.
(2) Recognition of differentiated responsibilities among nations forenvironmental protection.
(3) Adoption of Agenda 21, which included measures such as controllingpopulation growth, protecting the atmosphere, combating deforestation, andconserving biodiversity.
(c) What role has the United Nations played in controlling global environmental issues in the context of world politics?
Ans: The United Nations has played a significant role in addressing global environmental issues. Under its environmental programmes, it has organizedinternational conferences and conducted extensive studies on environmental problems to find effective solutions. The Stockholm Conference was held in1972 under UN initiative. In 1992, the Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro.
The Kyoto Protocol was later adopted under the framework of the UNFCCC.
Note: The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, not directly at the 1992 Rio Summit.
(d) Mention some measures taken to protect the rights of indigenouspeople.
Ans: According to the UN definition, indigenous people are descendantsof those who originally inhabited a territory and were later dominated byothers. Measures taken to protect their rights include:
(1) Inclusion of indigenous groups in constitutional provisions such asScheduled Tribes in some countries to ensure justice.
(2) Special constitutional safeguards and benefits such as relaxation inage limits for jobs and special government allowances.
(3) Improvement of transport and communication systems to promoteunderstanding and integration.
(e) Briefly explain the relationship between the rights of indigenouspeople and the environment. H.S. ’18, ’20
Ans: Indigenous people maintain a close relationship with the environment because their livelihood depends largely on nature. Their lifestyle is generallysimple and less harmful to the environment. Their culture, customs, social practices, and settlement patterns are environmentally compatible.
However, migration from developed or developing regions has often ledto the curtailment of indigenous rights and environmental degradation.
Therefore, various constitutional and administrative measures have been takenin different countries to protect their rights.
4. Long Answer Questions: (Marks: 6 each)
(a) What is the Kyoto Protocol? Explain.
Ans: In December 1997, a United Nations conference on climate changewas held in Kyoto, Japan. About 150 countries participated. The resolutionsadopted in this conference are known as the Kyoto Protocol. Its mainprovisions were:
(1) Industrialized countries agreed to reduce their average greenhouse gasemissions by about 5.2 percent below 1990 levels during the commitment period 2008–2012. The United States was to reduce emissions by 7 percent, the European Union by 8 percent, Canada by 6 percent, and Japan by 6 percent.
Although the United States signed the Protocol, it did not ratify it andtherefore was not legally bound by the reduction target.
(2) Developing countries were exempted from binding emission reductiontargets but were expected to take measures to control greenhouse gasemissions.
(3) The emission reduction commitments were to be achieved between2008 and 2012.
(b) Write a note on India’s role in environmental issues.
Or
Discuss India’s position in global environmental debates. H.S. ’16
Ans: India has treated environmental issues with seriousness. The IndianConstitution emphasizes environmental protection in the Fundamental Dutiesand Directive Principles of State Policy. The Government of India has enactedseveral environmental laws, including the Wildlife Protection Act (1972), theForest Conservation Act
(1980), the Water (Prevention and Control ofPollution) Act (1974), and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
(1981).
India signed the Kyoto Protocol in 2002. At the Copenhagen ClimateConference in 2009, India adopted a firm position, emphasizing equity andcommon but differentiated responsibilities.
India has also taken initiatives such as implementing cleaner fuel policies for vehicles, enacting the Energy Conservation Act (2001) to improve energyefficiency, and the Electricity Act (2003) to promote renewable energy. Indiais among the leading countries in renewable energy initiatives.
(c) Write about the significance of oil and water in contemporarypolitics.
Ans: Oil and water hold special significance in contemporary worldpolitics. Due to its essential nature and ease of transport, oil became central to the 20th-century global economy. About 95 percent of fuel required forglobal transportation comes from petroleum. Industrialized countries areheavily dependent on oil.
Control over oil resources has led to conflicts, disputes, and wars amongnations, such as the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, and theIran-Iraq War. Hence, it is often said that the history of oil is a history ofconflict.
Water is synonymous with life and is a basic condition for survival.
Although 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, only a small fraction is fit for drinking. The availability of freshwater is declining rapidly.
Reports suggest that by 2050, drought conditions may expand significantly, and climate change may displace millions in developing countries. Waterscarcity may become a major challenge and even a source of conflict in thefuture. Some thinkers argue that future wars may be fought over water.
(d) Critically discuss the geopolitics of resources. H.S. ’15
Ans: The geopolitics of resources refers to the politics of control, distribution, and utilization of global resources. For example, disputes overthe Farakka Barrage between India and Bangladesh, and the Cauvery Riverdispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka illustrate resource-based conflicts.
Two key resources in world politics are petroleum and water. There arealso regions not under the sovereignty of any single state, such as Antarctica, the global climate system, polar regions, and outer space. These are consideredglobal commons and should be governed collectively.
International agreements such as the Antarctic Treaty (1959), the Montreal Protocol (1987), and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the AntarcticTreaty (1991) reflect cooperative efforts in managing such resources.
