Consider the following international agreements : 1. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture 2. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 3. The World Heritage Convention Which of the above has/have a bearing on the biodiversity?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3 ✓ UPSC's answer
Why the answer is (d)
• The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources (2001) conserves crop genetic diversity and farmers' rights (1); the UNCCD (1994) protects dryland ecosystems and their biodiversity (2); the World Heritage Convention (1972) protects natural sites of outstanding biodiversity value such as the Western Ghats and Sundarbans (3).
• All three bear on biodiversity.
• Hence 1, 2 and 3, option (d).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- The World Heritage Convention also protects natural biodiversity sites.
- (b) 3 only
- The plant-genetics treaty and UNCCD also bear on biodiversity.
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- UNCCD also bears on dryland biodiversity.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2014, held on 24 August 2014. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.