Ice is seen on the Pastoruri glacier in the Peruvian Andes, Peru, May 7, 2024. Image for Representation. | Photo Credit: Reuters China’s glacier area has shrunk by 26% since 1960 due to rapid global warming, with 7,000 small glaciers disappearing completely and glacial retreat intensifying in recent years, official data released in March showed. … Read more
A green Central Fijian Banded Iguana is shown on Ovalau in Fiji. | Photo Credit: AP Researchers have long wondered how iguanas got to Fiji, a collection of remote islands in the South Pacific. Most modern-day iguanas live in the Americas — thousands of miles and one giant ocean away. They thought maybe they scurried there through … Read more
When we think about flood management, higher stop banks, stronger levees and concrete barriers usually come to mind. But what if the best solution – for people and nature – isn’t to confine rivers, but to give them more space? This alternative is increasingly being considered as an approach to mitigating flood risk. But allowing … Read more
The average groundwater level in Kalaburagi district has declined by 7.33 m below ground level in the last 10 years. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO The average groundwater level in Kalaburagi district has declined by 7.33 m below ground level (MBGL) in the last 10 years. According to the data provided by the Ground Water … Read more
Farmers are busy in agriculture operations at Dulapuram village of Wazeedu mandal of Mulugu district. | Photo Credit: Represenational purpose Close to 30 years after the delivery of the landmark T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad judgment which had asked the State governments to take stock of their respective deemed forests, the State government has finally constituted a … Read more
The transport sector is the third largest contributor to carbon emissions in India. So, several States nationwide have been attempting to decarbonise the sector with multipronged strategies–one of them is to reduce public transport’s carbon footprint. Come April, Chennai would be introduced to a new fleet of 500 electric buses that the State has procured … Read more
Permafrost melting is emerging as a unique environmental threat in the Kashmir Himalaya. A new study has found that thawing permafrost could affect 193 km of roads, 2,415 households, 903 alpine lakes, and eight hydropower projects in the mountainous region. Permafrost is any type of ground — soil, sediment, rock, etc. — that has been … Read more
Ice is seen on the Pastoruri glacier in the Peruvian Andes, Peru, May 7, 2024. | Photo Credit: Reuters Glaciers around the globe are disappearing faster than ever, with the last three-year period seeing the largest glacial mass loss on record, according to a UNESCO report released on March 21. The 9,000 gigatonnes of ice … Read more
The researchers said an important aspect of the study was that it identified significant monsoon cycles linked to solar activity. Representational file image. | Photo Credit: V RAJU A recent study conducted by the Central University of Kerala has provided crucial insights into the historical behaviour of the Indian Summer Monsoon over the past 15,000 … Read more
Improved cookstoves provided to forest guards of 45 anti-poaching camps in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve to reduce emissions and smoke from their kitchens by up to 80%. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement The authorities of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, in Assam, have targeted 233 kitchens to protect the lungs of green … Read more
In a rapidly warming world, climate data is not just numbers on a screen, it holds the key to survival. For decades, climate projections in India remained largely inaccessible or were too broad-scaled to drive real action at the local level. This gap fueled our (School of Climate Change and Sustainability at Azim Premji University) … Read more
The United Nations observes the World Water Day annually to highlight the importance of fresh water. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (March 22, 2025) underlined his government’s commitment to conserve water and promote sustainable development to mark the World Water Day. “Water has been the lifeline of civilisations and … Read more
Water scarcity is not a new issue haunting the world; nevertheless, it is still seen as a challenge that affects billions every year. The increasing water demand, coupled with climate change and mismanagement, has made water a scarce commodity, especially in developing countries like India. Scarcity essentially occurs when there is limited availability of a … Read more
Do you know how much water you use in a day? According to the Central Ground Water Authority in India, it is estimated that an average individual needs close to 135 litres of water every day to go through all daily activities from consumption to sanitation. This number can go up to 200 depending on … Read more
Groundwater is a crucial but often overlooked resource that sustains India’s agriculture, industries, and drinking water supply. Stored in underground aquifers—porous rock formations that hold water like a sponge—it serves as the lifeblood of the nation. The monsoon plays a key role in replenishing these aquifers, but the delicate balance between extraction and recharge is … Read more
India boasts a vast and diverse surface water network. This water is an interconnected network of natural water bodies like rivers, lakes and ponds. The major rivers in India being Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Godavari along with countless lakes, ponds and traditional water tanks. These water bodies support agriculture, drinking water supply, and groundwater recharge while … Read more
Representational file image. | Photo Credit: Reuters The biggest glacier in the Alps could yet be partially saved if global warming is capped below two degrees Celsius, Swiss scientists said on Friday (March 21, 2025), although significant ice loss is now inevitable. Glaciers around the globe are disappearing faster than ever, with the last three-year … Read more
Summer has arrived early in several parts of India. In the last week of February, heatwaves were officially reported in Goa and Maharashtra. States such as Odisha, Telangana, and Maharashtra have already recorded temperatures exceeding 40°C. Throughout most of February, 31 States and Union Territories experienced night temperatures at least 1°C above normal, with … Read more
A herd of elephants quenches its thirst from a tank near a tribal settlement in Coimbatore Forest Range. Photo: Special Arrangement Being one of the hotbeds of negative interactions between humans and elephants, the Coimbatore Forest Division is in the efforts to adopt more technologies to mitigate the conflict situation. In addition to the … Read more
Mr. Siddaramaiah urged the PM to extend the Price Deficiency Payment scheme under the Market Intervention Scheme to Karnataka. The scheme is available in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. | Photo Credit: G N Rao Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan urging them to … Read more
Earlier this month, Chennai recorded its hottest March in 25 years. With another intense summer ahead in this coastal city, and humidity exacerbating the effects heart, there is a need for conversations on designing climate-responsive cooler homes and outdoor urban spaces of tree-lined parks, lakes and wetlands. Increasing green cover, implementing reflective roofing materials, … Read more
A file image of President-Designate of the forthcoming climate talks Andre Lago | Photo Credit: Reuters With deepening divisions among countries over trade, the exit of the United States from the Paris Agreement, and multiplying disasters from global warming, the President-Designate of the forthcoming climate talks in Belem, Brazil, Andre Lago, a former Ambassador … Read more
It is now a widely-acknowledged opinion that Amitav Ghosh has contributed tremendously to the world’s understanding of climate change and colonialism and neo-imperialism, with his immaculate understanding of both, and his ability to establish the roots of one in another. His writings, over a period of time, both fiction and non-fiction, have enriched literature … Read more
A stream draining industrial effluents, sewage, dirt and other toxic substances into the Yamuna river | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma Think of the various products we use to clean ourselves and our homes. Toothpastes, shampoos, soaps, dishwashing soaps and more. Did you know that all of these contain chemicals that pollute the water you … Read more
| Video Credit: The Hindu In this week’s Tipping Point, we explore how climate change is affecting India’s wheat production. With extreme heat, increasing heat waves, and unpredictable monsoon patterns, India’s wheat crop is under threat. We dive into the challenges faced by major wheat-producing states and discuss potential solutions, including climate-resilient crop varieties. Also, … Read more
As the world celebrated another World Sparrow Day on Thursday, sparrow enthusiasts in Thiruvananthapuram were grappling with a troubling reality. The once-thriving population of house sparrows in the city and its suburbs has seen a significant decline. A survey undertaken by the Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS), a non-governmental organisation, a day ago has shed … Read more
The ocean has always called to us with its rhythmic waves, endless mysteries and treasures scattered along the shore. Most of us are drawn by the glimmer of a seashell, a tiny piece of the sea we long to take home. But chances are that shell you want is being used – or will be … Read more
Green Humour | Photo Credit: Rohan Chakravarty Green Humour | Photo Credit: Rohan Chakravarty Rohan Chakravarty is a cartoonist and illustrator from Nagpur. His series, ‘Green Humour’, consists of cartoons and comics on wildlife, nature conservation, environmental issues, sustainability, and all things green. Published – March 20, 2025 01:07 pm IST
NITI Aayog’s Vice Chairman Suman Bery. File | Photo Credit: PIB India and the United States should consider integrating “climate risks” and related technologies into the TRUST framework that was signed recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump, Suman Bery, Vice-Chairman, Niti Aayog said at a conference on Wednesday. Also Read … Read more
Image used for representation | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K A study on heatwave preparedness of nine Indian cities, including Delhi, has found out that long-term actions are rare and where such actions exist, they are poorly targeted. Also, all the nine cities focused on immediate responses to heatwaves. Sustainable Futures Collaborative (SFC), a Delhi-based research … Read more