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📌 The Question

‘Invasive Species Specialist Group’ (that develops the Global Invasive Species Database) belongs to which one of the following organizations?

(a) The International Union for Conservation of Nature
(b) The United Nations Environment Programme
(c) The United Nations World Commission for Environment and Development
(d) The World Wide Fund for Nature

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✅ Correct Answer: (a)

The International Union for Conservation of Nature

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🧑‍🏫 Classroom Explanation

The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) is a global network of scientific and policy experts dealing with invasive alien species.

• ISSG functions under the Species Survival Commission (SSC)
• SSC is one of the six commissions of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• ISSG maintains and updates the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD), a key global reference used by:
  • Governments
  • Conservation planners
  • Researchers
  • International conventions (CBD, IPBES, etc.)

Hence, the correct answer is option (a).

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⚡ Curiosity Raiser

Why does UPSC love invasive species questions?
👉 Because invasive species link biodiversity loss, climate change, trade, agriculture, and national security in one theme.

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📚 Enrich Notes (UPSC Edge)

• Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are among the top 5 drivers of global biodiversity loss
• India’s examples:
  • Lantana camara
  • Prosopis juliflora
  • Water hyacinth
• Global governance anchors:
  • IUCN–SSG–ISSG
  • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• GISD is often cited in:
  • IPBES reports
  • National Biodiversity Strategies

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🕊️ IAS Monk Whisper

“Invasions don’t arrive with armies — they arrive with ignorance.”