El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a recurring climate pattern involving changes in the temperature of waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
On periods ranging from about three to seven years, the surface waters across a large swath of the tropical Pacific Ocean warm or cool by anywhere from 1°C to 3°C, compared to normal.
This oscillating warming and cooling pattern, referred to as the ENSO cycle, directly affects rainfall distribution in the tropics and can have a strong influence on weather across the United States and other parts of the world.
El Niño and La Niña are the extreme phases of the ENSO cycle, between these two phases is a third phase called ENSO-neutral.
El Niño - A warming of the ocean surface, or above-average Sea surface temperatures (SST), in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (decreased rain fall to India).
La Niña - A cooling of the ocean surface, or below-average Sea surface temperatures (SST), in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. (Increased rainfall to India).
Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO)
MJO is an eastward moving disturbance of clouds, rainfall, winds, and pressure that traverses the planet in the tropics and returns to its initial starting point in 30 to 60 days, on average.
This atmospheric disturbance is distinct from ENSO, which once established, is associated with persistent features that last several seasons or longer over the Pacific Ocean basin.
There can be multiple MJO events within a season, it can be described as intra-seasonal tropical climate variability (i.e. varies on a week-to-week basis).
The MJO consists of two parts, or phases: one is the enhanced rainfall (or convective) phase and the other is the suppressed rainfall phase.
The MJO can produce impacts similar to those of ENSO, but which appear only in weekly averages before changing, rather than persisting and therefore appearing in seasonal averages as is the case for ENSO.
The band of lower pressure in the MJO wave sets up storms/depressions and underwrites monsoon onsets as it travels east.
According to Indian Meteorological Department MJO delays onset South- West monsoon in India.
Elephant hunting in Botswana
Botswana has reinstated trophy hunting after a 5-year moratorium on the practice.
The nations claims that it has too many elephants and this fueled the idea that hunting and even culling will reduce growing human and elephant conflict.
The nation also believes that hunting provides direct jobs (and bush meat) to local communities who live in the daily reality of growing human and wildlife conflict.
CITES
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is an international agreement between governments.
Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union), and entered into force in 1975.
CITES is an international agreement to which States and regional economic integration organizations adhere voluntarily.
CITES is legally binding on the Parties, but it does not take the place of national laws.
Rather it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.
CITES is the largest conservation agreement with 183 parties, India is a signatory of CITES.
Malaria Free Status
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Argentina and Algeria ‘malaria-free’ in May 2019.
Both of these nations are only second countries in their respective region to be officially deemed malaria free by the world health organization (WHO).
Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted through the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes, it is preventable and treatable.
WHO so far, has declared 38 countries and territories malaria-free.
A country is certified ‘free’ of a disease on proving it interrupted indigenous transmission for at least 3 consecutive years.
