About this quiz
Ecology, Biodiversity, Sustainable Development, Climate Agreements, Urbanisation and Migration
This Lok Sewa practice set has 50 multiple-choice questions (Subject: General Knowledge · For: Kharidar · Level: Medium). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 50 questions with answers and explanations
Ecology is the study of:
- A) Rocks
- B) Living things and their environment ✔
- C) Stars
- D) Economy
Why: Ecology (पारिस्थितिकी) studies how living things interact with each other and with their environment. The word was coined by Ernst Haeckel.
Green plants in an ecosystem are:
- A) Consumers
- B) Producers ✔
- C) Decomposers
- D) Predators
Why: Green plants are producers: they make food by photosynthesis, and all other living things depend on them.
Bacteria and fungi that break down dead matter are:
- A) Producers
- B) Decomposers ✔
- C) Herbivores
- D) Carnivores
Why: Bacteria and fungi are decomposers: they break down dead matter and return nutrients to the soil.
How many Sustainable Development Goals are there?
- A) 8
- B) 15
- C) 17 ✔
- D) 20
Why: There are 17 SDGs, adopted by the UN in 2015 as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The target year of the SDGs is:
- A) 2025
- B) 2030 ✔
- C) 2040
- D) 2050
Why: The SDGs are to be achieved by 2030. They replaced the Millennium Development Goals (2000–2015).
The common definition of sustainable development comes from the:
- A) Kyoto Protocol
- B) Brundtland Report ✔
- C) Paris Agreement
- D) Montreal Protocol
Why: The Brundtland Report (1987) defined sustainable development as meeting present needs without harming future generations' ability to meet theirs.
The Paris Agreement on climate change was adopted in:
- A) 1992
- B) 1997
- C) 2015 ✔
- D) 2030
Why: The Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015 at COP21. It aims to keep global warming well below 2 °C, ideally 1.5 °C.
The Montreal Protocol protects the:
- A) Forests
- B) Ozone layer ✔
- C) Oceans
- D) Wildlife
Why: The Montreal Protocol (1987) protects the ozone layer by phasing out ozone-depleting chemicals like CFCs.
World Environment Day is celebrated on:
- A) 22 April
- B) 5 June ✔
- C) 16 September
- D) 22 May
Why: World Environment Day is 5 June, the opening day of the 1972 Stockholm Conference.
International Day for Biological Diversity is:
- A) 22 May ✔
- B) 5 June
- C) 22 April
- D) 11 December
Why: The International Day for Biological Diversity is 22 May.
EIA stands for:
- A) Environmental Impact Assessment ✔
- B) Energy Index Analysis
- C) Environment Inspection Act
- D) Ecological Investment Account
Why: EIA is Environmental Impact Assessment: studying a project's likely environmental effects before approving it.
The 3Rs of waste management are:
- A) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ✔
- B) Read, Write, Repeat
- C) Remove, Return, Refill
- D) Repair, Replace, Rebuild
Why: The 3Rs are Reduce (use less), Reuse (use again) and Recycle (make into new products).
Urbanisation means:
- A) Growth of forests
- B) Growth of the share of people in towns and cities ✔
- C) Fall in population
- D) Movement to villages
Why: Urbanisation is the growth in the share of people living in towns and cities.
Moving from the hills to the Terai within Nepal is:
- A) International migration
- B) Internal migration ✔
- C) Emigration
- D) Immigration
Why: Moving within the same country, such as from the hills to the Terai, is internal migration.
The Convention on Biological Diversity came from the:
- A) Rio Earth Summit 1992 ✔
- B) Paris 2015
- C) Kyoto 1997
- D) Montreal 1987
Why: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) came from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
Biodiversity means:
- A) Variety of life on Earth ✔
- B) Number of humans
- C) Types of rocks
- D) Kinds of weather
Why: Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth: genes, species and ecosystems.
The three levels of biodiversity are:
- A) Genetic, species and ecosystem ✔
- B) Air, water, land
- C) Plants, animals, humans
- D) Local, national, global
Why: Biodiversity has three levels: genetic (within species), species (between species) and ecosystem (between habitats).
In-situ conservation means protecting species:
- A) In their natural habitat ✔
- B) In zoos
- C) In seed banks
- D) In laboratories
Why: In-situ conservation protects species in their natural habitat, as in national parks and conservation areas.
Ex-situ conservation includes:
- A) Zoos and seed banks ✔
- B) National parks
- C) Conservation areas
- D) Buffer zones
Why: Ex-situ conservation protects species outside their habitat, such as in zoos, botanical gardens and seed banks.
A biodiversity hotspot is an area with:
- A) High species richness under threat ✔
- B) No species
- C) Only deserts
- D) Only oceans
Why: A biodiversity hotspot has very high species richness, many found nowhere else, and is under serious threat.
The CBD was opened for signature at the:
- A) Rio Earth Summit 1992 ✔
- B) Paris 2015
- C) Kyoto 1997
- D) Stockholm 1972
Why: The CBD was opened for signature at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
CITES regulates:
- A) International trade in endangered species ✔
- B) Ozone
- C) Climate
- D) Nuclear weapons
Why: CITES regulates international trade in endangered wild animals and plants, so trade does not threaten their survival.
The Ramsar Convention protects:
- A) Wetlands ✔
- B) Forests
- C) Deserts
- D) Oceans only
Why: The Ramsar Convention (1971) protects wetlands. Nepal has 10 Ramsar sites, including Koshi Tappu and Rara.
The IUCN publishes the:
- A) Red List of threatened species ✔
- B) World Bank report
- C) HDI
- D) Census
Why: The IUCN publishes the Red List, which classifies species by extinction risk.
Which is an endangered animal of Nepal?
- A) Royal Bengal tiger ✔
- B) House sparrow
- C) Cow
- D) Goat
Why: The Royal Bengal tiger is endangered. Nepal nearly tripled its tiger numbers through conservation.
The one-horned rhino is found mainly in:
- A) Chitwan ✔
- B) Mustang
- C) Humla
- D) Kathmandu
Why: The one-horned rhinoceros is found mainly in Chitwan National Park, and also in Bardiya and Shuklaphanta.
Snow leopards live in:
- A) High Himalaya ✔
- B) Terai grasslands
- C) Kathmandu valley
- D) Inner Terai
Why: Snow leopards live in the high Himalaya above the treeline, such as in Shey Phoksundo and Annapurna areas.
The Stockholm Conference on the human environment was in:
- A) 1972 ✔
- B) 1992
- C) 1987
- D) 2002
Why: The UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm (1972) was the first major global environment meeting and led to UNEP.
UNEP headquarters is in:
- A) Nairobi ✔
- B) Geneva
- C) New York
- D) Paris
Why: UNEP, set up in 1972, has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Brundtland Report 'Our Common Future' was published in:
- A) 1987 ✔
- B) 1972
- C) 1992
- D) 2015
Why: 'Our Common Future' (the Brundtland Report) was published in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development.
SDG 1 is about:
- A) No poverty ✔
- B) Zero hunger
- C) Quality education
- D) Climate action
Why: SDG 1 is No Poverty: end poverty in all its forms everywhere.
SDG 13 is about:
- A) Climate action ✔
- B) Life below water
- C) Gender equality
- D) Clean water
Why: SDG 13 is Climate Action: take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
SDG 4 is about:
- A) Quality education ✔
- B) Good health
- C) No poverty
- D) Decent work
Why: SDG 4 is Quality Education: inclusive, equitable quality education for all.
The three pillars of sustainable development are:
- A) Economic, social, environmental ✔
- B) Army, police, courts
- C) Land, labour, capital
- D) Past, present, future
Why: The three pillars are economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection, balanced together.
Rural to urban migration is mainly due to:
- A) Jobs, education and services in cities ✔
- B) Bad roads in cities
- C) Snowfall
- D) Tax only
Why: People move to cities for jobs, education, health care and other services that are scarce in villages.
Push factors of migration include:
- A) Poverty and lack of jobs ✔
- B) Good schools
- C) Better hospitals
- D) High wages
Why: Push factors drive people away from home, such as poverty, lack of jobs, conflict and disasters.
Pull factors of migration include:
- A) Better job opportunities ✔
- B) War
- C) Drought
- D) Unemployment
Why: Pull factors attract people to a place, such as better jobs, higher pay, schools and hospitals.
Foreign labour migration from Nepal is regulated by the:
- A) Foreign Employment Act 2064 ✔
- B) Labour Act 2048 only
- C) Tourism Act
- D) Immigration Act 2049
Why: The Foreign Employment Act, 2064 regulates foreign employment, recruitment agencies and protection of migrant workers.
Which is the most urbanised district of Nepal?
- A) Kathmandu ✔
- B) Manang
- C) Humla
- D) Dolpa
Why: Kathmandu district is the most urbanised, with almost all its population in municipalities.
A problem of rapid urbanisation is:
- A) Slums, traffic and pollution ✔
- B) More forests
- C) Less waste
- D) Fewer people
Why: Fast unplanned urban growth causes slums, traffic jams, pollution and pressure on water and waste services.
Internal migration within Nepal is mostly towards:
- A) Terai and cities ✔
- B) Himalaya
- C) Tibet
- D) Inner forests
Why: Most internal migrants move towards the Terai and cities such as Kathmandu, Pokhara and Biratnagar.
Brain drain means:
- A) Migration of skilled people abroad ✔
- B) Loss of memory
- C) Low education
- D) Population growth
Why: Brain drain is the migration of skilled and educated people, such as doctors and engineers, to other countries.
Remittance dependence is a result of:
- A) Large foreign labour migration ✔
- B) Tourism
- C) Hydropower
- D) Agriculture
Why: Heavy dependence on remittances results from large-scale foreign labour migration.
Smart city aims to use technology for:
- A) Better urban services ✔
- B) Polluting more
- C) Removing roads
- D) Stopping trade
Why: A smart city uses technology and data to improve urban services such as transport, water, waste and energy.
Nepal's Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan is called:
- A) NBSAP ✔
- B) SDG
- C) PRSP
- D) MTEF
Why: Nepal's plan to meet CBD goals is the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).
Which is a threat to biodiversity?
- A) Habitat loss ✔
- B) Conservation
- C) Afforestation
- D) Protected areas
Why: Habitat loss from deforestation, farming and urban growth is the biggest threat to biodiversity.
Invasive species like Mikania (mile-a-minute) threaten:
- A) Chitwan's grasslands and forests ✔
- B) Mountains only
- C) Cities
- D) Rivers only
Why: Mikania, a fast-growing invasive vine, smothers Chitwan's grasslands and forests, reducing food for rhinos and deer.
Green economy focuses on:
- A) Low carbon and resource efficiency ✔
- B) Coal expansion
- C) Deforestation
- D) Plastic use
Why: A green economy aims for low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive growth.
The 3Rs are Reduce, Reuse and:
- A) Recycle ✔
- B) Refill
- C) Remove
- D) Retain
Why: The third R is Recycle: turning waste into new products.
Urban population in Nepal (municipal areas) per Census 2078 is about:
- A) Two-thirds ✔
- B) One-tenth
- C) One-quarter
- D) Half
Why: Census 2078 found about two-thirds (about 66%) of people living in municipal (urban) areas, after local restructuring in 2073 BS.