The city of Cartagena, which is famous for Protocol on Biosafety, is located in
- A.Colombia
- B.Venezuela
- C.Brazil
- D.Guyana
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Colombia. Cartagena is a port city on Colombia's Caribbean coast, where talks on the biosafety protocol were held in 1999.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity of 1992. It deals with the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms produced by modern biotechnology that may harm biodiversity or human health. It sets out the advance informed agreement procedure for their movement across borders and rests on the precautionary approach. The protocol was finally adopted in Montreal in January 2000 and came into force on 11 September 2003. India is a party to it. Its supplementary Nagoya–Kuala Lumpur Protocol deals with liability and redress.
Option B is wrong because Venezuela is Colombia's eastern neighbour and Cartagena is not in it. Option C is wrong because Brazil is linked with the 1992 Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro, where the Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature. Option D is wrong because Guyana has no city of that name.
Exam tip: Cartagena (Colombia) = biosafety of GMOs; Nagoya (Japan) = access and benefit sharing.
Practice Questions
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- A.Bacillus thuringiensis
- B.Ladybird beetle
- C.Trichoderma
- D.Aphid
Show answer
An aphid is a sap-sucking insect pest of crops, so it is the target of biocontrol, not an agent of it.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following can be considered associated with mitigation of environmental problems ?
- A.Biomagnification
- B.Accelerated eutrophication
- C.Release of Nuclear wastes
- D.Categorical disposal of different wastes
Show answer
Sorting wastes into categories and disposing of each in the proper way reduces pollution, so it helps solve environmental problems rather than cause them.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is the nodal agency in India for the United Nations Environment Programme?
- A.The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- B.The Ministry of Science and Technology
- C.The Ministry of Earth Sciences
- D.The Ministry of Home Affairs
Show answer
This ministry plans, promotes and coordinates India's environmental policy, so it deals with UNEP on India's behalf. UNEP was set up in 1972 after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is a cause of acid rains?
- A.Ozone
- B.Ammonia
- C.Sulphur dioxide
- D.Carbon monoxide
Show answer
Sulphur dioxide dissolves in rainwater to form sulphuric acid, a main cause of acid rain. Burning coal and oil in power stations, smelters and vehicles releases sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen into the air.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following are the major coral reef areas of India ?
1. Gulf of Kachchh
2. Gulf of Mannar
3. Lakshadweep
4. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- A.1 and 3 only
- B.2 and 4 only
- C.1, 2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer
All four areas are recognised as the major coral reef areas of India. India's coral reefs lie in four main regions.
Read the full explanation →