Question 12 from UPSC CSE 2024 - Environm ent

Question

One of the following regions has the world's largest tropical peatland, which holds about three years worth of global carbon emissions from fossil fuels; and the possible destruction of which can exert a detrimental effect on the global climate. Which one of the following denotes that region?

A

Amazon Basin

B

Congo Basin

C

Kikon Basin

D

Rio de la Plata Basin

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. Congo Basin

Strategy: Focus on the unique clues: 'world's largest tropical peatland' and the immense carbon storage linked with global emissions. The Amazon Basin is more famed for its rainforests, not its tropical peatlands. Congo Basin is well-documented for its vast peatland complex and related climate impact. The other options are distractors without known large-scale tropical peatlands.

Key Info: The Congo Basin is a vast sedimentary basin in Central Africa, spanning several countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. It contains the largest expanse of tropical peatland in the world, known as the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, discovered and mapped in the 2010s. These peatlands cover approximately 145,500 square kilometers and store an estimated 29 billion metric tons of carbon, equivalent to three years of global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Peatlands are waterlogged ecosystems where plant material does not fully decompose, accumulating carbon over millennia. The Congo peatlands play a crucial role in global climate regulation by sequestering carbon; their drainage or burning releases massive greenhouse gases, accelerating global warming. This region is one of the few remaining major carbon sinks. In contrast, the Amazon Basin, though home to the world's largest rainforest and biodiversity hotspot, lacks peatlands of comparable scale. The 'Kikon Basin' is not recognized in major geographical or environmental literature. The Rio de la Plata Basin, located in South America, is primarily noted for its river system and wetlands, not tropical peatlands or significant carbon sequestration. The conservation status of the Congo peatlands is critical; potential destruction through logging, agriculture, or climate change-induced drying poses a grave risk for rapid, large-scale carbon release and climate destabilization. Key international organizations including UNEP, CIFOR, and Greenpeace highlight the importance of protecting the Congo Basin's peatlands for planetary climate stability.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: Amazon Basin

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: Kikon Basin

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: Rio de la Plata Basin