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Practice organizations-and-programs with 20 free MCQ questions covering environment-and-ecology. Detailed explanations in English and Hindi, perfect for UPSC, SSC, and competitive exam preparation.
Attempt the quiz above first, then review every question with its correct answer and a short explanation below.
Q1.Which of the following international organizations compiles and publishes the authoritative 'Red List of Threatened Species' to track global extinction risks?
Explanation: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 15 explicitly notes: 'The IUCN Red List (2004) documents the extinction of 784 species...'. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains this global database, classifying species into various threat categories.
Q2.In which year and where was the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) originally established?
Explanation: IUCN was founded on October 5, 1948, in Fontainebleau, France. It was the first global environmental organization, uniting governments and civil society organizations. Its headquarters are currently located in Gland, Switzerland.
Q3.Which of the following UN agencies is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and serves as the leading global authority setting the environmental agenda?
Explanation: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), established in June 1972, is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. It coordinates the UN's environmental activities and assists developing nations in implementing environmentally sound policies.
Q4.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 to provide objective scientific assessments of climate change. Which two international bodies founded the IPCC?
Explanation: The IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to evaluate the risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts, and options for adaptation and mitigation.
Q5.Which of the following statements is true regarding the working methodology of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)?
Explanation: The IPCC does not carry out original research, nor does it monitor climate-related data. Instead, thousands of scientists and experts volunteer to review and assess the latest published scientific, technical, and socio-economic literature worldwide to compile Assessment Reports.
Q6.The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), a prominent non-governmental conservation organization founded in 1961, has which animal as its famous global symbol?
Explanation: WWF's giant panda logo was designed in 1961 by Sir Peter Scott, based on Chi Chi, a giant panda living in the London Zoo at the time. It was chosen as a strong, recognizable, and endangered species symbol that could save printing costs due to its simple black and white colors.
Q7.Which global environmental campaign, where individuals and businesses voluntarily switch off non-essential lights for one hour, is organized annually by the WWF?
Explanation: Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The event is held annually on the last Saturday of March, encouraging individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour (8:30 to 9:30 PM local time) to show commitment to the planet.
Q8.The 'Living Planet Report', which tracks trends in global biodiversity and vertebrate population sizes, is a flagship publication of which organization?
Explanation: The Living Planet Report is published every two years by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It is based on the Living Planet Index (LPI), which monitors thousands of vertebrate populations (mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians) to evaluate biosphere health.
Q9.Which key publication of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides comprehensive assessments of the state of the global environment and informs environmental decision-making?
Explanation: The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is UNEP's flagship publication. It provides periodic, comprehensive, and scientifically grounded reports on the state, trends, and future prospects of the global environment, helping countries track environmental performance.
Q10.Which Geneva-based UN specialized agency acts as the authoritative voice on the state and behavior of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, and the resulting climate?
Explanation: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology, and related geophysical sciences. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and publishes the annual 'State of the Global Climate' report.
Q11.In the IUCN Red List categories, a species is classified as 'Critically Endangered' when it faces which level of risk of extinction in the wild?
Explanation: The IUCN Red List defines threat categories: (1) Critically Endangered (CR) faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future; (2) Endangered (EN) faces a very high risk of extinction in the near future; and (3) Vulnerable (VU) faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term.
Q12.When a species no longer exists anywhere in its natural wild habitat, but some surviving individuals are kept in captivity (such as in zoos or botanical gardens), its IUCN status is:
Explanation: A taxon is Extinct in the Wild (EW) when it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity, or as a naturalized population well outside its past range. Examples include the Hawaiian crow and Alagoas curassow.
Q13.Which of the following is a major report published annually by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to evaluate the difference between global greenhouse gas commitments and actual emission levels?
Explanation: UNEP's annual Emissions Gap Report tracks the gap between where global greenhouse gas emissions are heading under current national commitments (NDCs) and where they need to be to limit global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C.
Q14.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was honored with which prestigious international award in 2007 for its efforts to build and disseminate knowledge about climate change?
Explanation: The IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, shared equally with Al Gore, 'for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.'
Q15.The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) was originally established in which year, and where is its headquarters located?
Explanation: WWF was founded on April 29, 1961, as the World Wildlife Fund. Its headquarters are located in Gland, Switzerland, sharing close ties with IUCN. It was renamed the World Wide Fund for Nature in 1986 to reflect its broader conservation scope.
Q16.Which of the following describes the difference between the IUCN and the UNEP?
Explanation: IUCN is a membership union containing over 1,400 government and civil society members. It is not a UN body, though it has observer status. UNEP is a direct United Nations programme established by the General Assembly, funded by UN member states.
Q17.The first comprehensive report published by the IPCC in 1990 served as the primary scientific foundation for the creation of which major UN climate convention?
Explanation: The IPCC First Assessment Report (FAR) in 1990 concluded that human-induced climate change was a real threat. It played a pivotal role in the formulation and adoption of the UNFCCC at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.
Q18.Under the IUCN Red List criteria, what is the term used for species that have been evaluated but do not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable status, yet are close to qualifying in the near future?
Explanation: A taxon is Near Threatened (NT) when it has been evaluated against the criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.
Q19.The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) operates which global programme to coordinate weather observations and data sharing among all member nations?
Explanation: World Weather Watch (WWW) is the core programme of WMO. Established in 1963, it combines observation stations (satellite, land, and sea-based), telecommunication links, and meteorological centers to provide real-time weather and climate forecasts globally.
Q20.How many total Assessment Reports has the IPCC published since its inception, with the latest synthesis completed in 2023?
Explanation: The IPCC has published six comprehensive Assessment Reports since 1988: FAR (1990), SAR (1995), TAR (2001), AR4 (2007), AR5 (2014), and AR6 (completed in March 2023). These reports represent the global scientific consensus on climate change.
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