Global glacier loss may peak during 2041–55, with up to 4,000 glaciers disappearing yearly. This threatens water security worldwide, especially in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. For India, higher GLOF risks and seasonal rivers loom. Limiting warming to 1.5°C remains crucial to save nearly half of global glaciers.
Click to View MoreWinter heatwaves, driven by jet-stream weakening, atmospheric blocking, and global warming, are emerging risks for India. They threaten rabi crops, ecosystems, and winter tourism. Despite steps under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, India needs stronger mitigation, better early warnings, and adaptive water and farm management to respond effectively.
Click to View MoreRecent research finds a “carbon anomaly” in the Southern Ocean, where CO2 absorption has strengthened since the 2000s. Antarctic meltwater creates a freshwater lid that traps carbon below. This temporary climate buffer exposes model flaws and risks a sudden reversal into a carbon source.
Click to View MoreIn a rare event, parts of Saudi Arabia saw snowfall after polar air met a moist low-pressure system. Scientists link rising such extremes to Arctic-driven jet stream shifts. The episode exposes climate vulnerability and highlights responses under the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030.
Click to View MoreIndia’s environmental crisis, seen in Delhi’s chronic smog, exposes constitutional gaps. Though courts read a healthy environment into Article 21 using principles like Polluter Pays and Public Trust, weak enforcement persists. An explicit constitutional amendment would convert this implied right into a clear, enforceable fundamental guarantee, strengthening accountability and citizen protection.
Click to View MoreGreen industrialisation is an emerging development strategy that integrates climate action with industrial growth by promoting low-carbon, resource-efficient manufacturing. It recognises that achieving decarbonisation requires building domestic clean-technology capabilities, creating green jobs, and restructuring supply chains. For countries like India, green industrialisation offers a pathway to balance climate commitments with economic development, competitiveness, and inclusive growth, provided it is supported by coherent policies, adequate finance, and global cooperation.
Click to View MoreIndia’s air pollution crisis echoes China’s 2010s airpocalypse. China cut particulate pollution by 40.8% (2013–23) via political will, clean-tech investment, coal transition, and strict enforcement. India can adapt mission-mode action and regional airshed management to strengthen the National Clean Air Programme within a democratic framework.
Click to View MoreThe NGT’s probe into BBMB highlights risks from outdated dam rule curves that ignore climate change and modern forecasting. Reactive operations worsened the 2023 Punjab floods. The case stresses urgent enforcement of the Dam Safety Act 2021, updated protocols, and integrated, technology-driven water management for aging dams.
Click to View MoreRecent studies show that expanding Protected Areas alone has not halted biodiversity loss. Many remain “paper parks” with weak management, poor funding and limited community involvement. Climate change and invasive species worsen impacts. Conservation must shift from area-based targets to outcome-focused, adaptive strategies that empower local custodians.
Click to View MoreTalks on a Global Plastics Treaty remain stalled as high-ambition countries seek caps on virgin plastic, while major producers favour waste-focused solutions. Disputes over chemicals and finance persist. Japan’s bridge-building role aims to break the deadlock amid worsening environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution.
Click to View MoreThe UNEP's seventh Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) report presents a dire warning, projecting global temperature rise between 2.4°C and 3.9°C this century, far exceeding Paris Agreement goals. It highlights an interconnected "polycrisis" of accelerated climate change, catastrophic biodiversity loss, widespread land degradation, and escalating pollution.
Click to View MoreAir pollution is now one of the world’s deadliest environmental threats, contributing to nearly nine million premature deaths each year—largely from heart disease, stroke, lung infections, cancer and chronic respiratory conditions. Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries where exposure to fine particulate matter, toxic gases and waste emissions is persistently high. The latest assessments show that ninety-nine percent of the global population breathes air that exceeds health guidelines, with climate change, wildfires, unmanaged waste and urban congestion intensifying the crisis. This enormous health burden underscores the urgent need for stronger pollution control, cleaner energy transitions and more effective global cooperation.
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