February 2025 - Page 2 of 11

Feb262025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Colombia Landmark Disaster Risk Assessment to Strengthen National Resilience

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

In a bold step toward fortifying national safety, Colombia has launched a comprehensive disaster risk assessment covering all 1,122 municipalities, marking a milestone in resilience planning. The initiative, spearheaded by the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) in collaboration with the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), represents a breakthrough in disaster preparedness, leveraging cutting-edge data analysis to mitigate threats ranging from landslides to extreme weather events. Colombia, one of the most disaster-prone nations in Latin America and the Caribbean, has already been implementing major risk reduction measures, including a landslide early warning system in Medellín, transportation infrastructure upgrades, and urban greenway projects designed to combat extreme heat...

Feb262025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Tree Rings Reveal Climate Change’s Role in Intensifying Drought Across Eurasia

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Scientists have long struggled to distinguish natural hydroclimatic variability from human-induced climate change when analyzing shifting drought conditions worldwide. While complex computer models can simulate past climate fluctuations, they often carry biases that affect regional drought estimates. Now, a groundbreaking study using tree rings provides compelling evidence that global warming is driving 21st-century drought patterns across Europe and Asia. A team of researchers, led by Kate Marvel and colleagues, turned to the Great Eurasian Drought Atlas (GEDA) a vast collection of tree ring records spanning 1,000 years to reconstruct historical drought trends. Because tree rings grow wider in warm, wet years and thinner in dry, cold years, they serve as a natural climate archive, offe...

Feb262025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

AI Powered Satellite System Reveals Stark Green Space Inequality in Karachi

Breaking News, Learning & Developments, Space, Tech

A research team led by NYU Associate Professor Rumi Chunara has developed an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system that accurately tracks urban green spaces using satellite imagery offering a crucial tool for healthier city planning. The system significantly outperforms traditional methods, which have historically failed to capture up to 37% of urban vegetation. Breaking New Ground in Urban Mapping To validate their approach, researchers tested the system in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, known for its mix of dense urban sprawl and highly varied vegetation. The AI, built on enhanced DeepLabV3+ segmentation models, was trained using a technique called ‘green augmentation,’ which adjusts training data to account for different lighting and seasonal conditions. This innovation ...

Feb262025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Ecuador Launches Climate Insurance to Protect Small Farmers

Breaking News, Climate Actions

Ecuador has introduced its first parametric insurance program to protect smallholder maize and rice farmers from climate-related risks such as floods, storms, and El Niño-driven weather events. The initiative, led by Guy Carpenter Mexico, AXA Climate, Blue Marble Microinsurance, and Campo Seguro, in partnership with the InsuResilience Solutions Fund (ISF), aims to provide affordable coverage to farmers who previously lacked access to traditional indemnity-based insurance. Agriculture is crucial to Ecuador’s economy, supporting 17.9% of its workforce and supplying nearly 60% of essential food. However, extreme weather events threaten rural livelihoods, making risk management critical. Unlike conventional insurance, the new parametric model will offer faster payouts based on predefined we...

Feb252025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Study Links Extreme Weather to Rising Power Outages Across U.S. Frequently

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

A new study published in PLOS Climate reveals that power outages are becoming increasingly frequent alongside extreme weather events in the U.S., highlighting regional differences in outage causes and the urgent need for preparedness. Researchers analyzed county-level data from 2018 to 2020 and found that 73% of counties experienced at least one day where a severe weather event coincided with a power outage. In 54% of counties, two simultaneous weather hazards such as hurricanes and heavy rain occurred alongside outages, raising the risk of widespread disruption. Hurricanes were the leading cause of outages, followed by snowstorms and heavy rain. However, the impact varied by region: heavy rain was a major factor in the Northeast and Gulf Coast, while extreme heat and power failures ...

Feb252025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Vanishing Giants India Farmlands Lose Millions of Large Trees, Raising Environmental Concerns

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

India has witnessed a dramatic decline in large trees across its farmlands over the past decade, with nearly 5.6 million trees disappearing between 2018 and 2022 alone, a new study has revealed. Researchers using satellite imagery from 2010 to 2022 found that in some regions, up to 50% of large trees have been lost, raising serious concerns about the impact on biodiversity, soil health, and climate resilience. The study identified central Indian states like Maharashtra and Telangana as hotspots for tree loss, with nearly 2.5 million trees vanishing between 2011 and 2018. Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh recorded the highest densities of tree loss, with about 22 trees disappearing per hectare. India’s land-cover data shows that 56% of the country is under farmland, while forests cover only ...

Feb252025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Mild Earthquake Jolts Dhaka Bangladesh Coastal Regions Feel Stronger Tremors

Breaking News, Disasters

A 5.1-magnitude earthquake was felt in Dhaka and several parts of Bangladesh at 6:40 a.m. on Tuesday. The tremor, originating in the Bay of Bengal near India, had minimal impact in Bangladesh, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Officials from the department’s Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center classified it as a moderate quake, with its epicenter located underwater near West Bengal and Odisha. While the tremors in Bangladesh were mild, coastal districts experienced stronger shaking due to their proximity to the epicenter, which was 501 kilometers away. The earthquake was more intense along the coastal regions of West Bengal and Odisha, where residents reported noticeable tremors. Authorities have not reported any major damages or casualties. From News De...

Feb252025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Raging Infernos Forest Fires Surge $30 billion loss as Climate Change Fuels Destruction

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Forest fires have become a global crisis, unleashing destruction on ecosystems, air quality, and biodiversity while intensifying climate change. The growing frequency and severity of wildfires from Russia to Australia highlight the urgent need for better fire management strategies and stronger climate action. In Los Angeles, wildfires recently caused losses of $30 billion, burning over 57,000 acres and destroying 16,000 structures. Between 2001 and 2023, wildfires wiped out 138 million hectares of tree cover worldwide, with Russia, Canada, and the U.S. suffering the highest losses. Meanwhile, global wildfires have emitted five to eight billion tonnes of CO₂ annually, worsening air pollution and health risks. India, too, faces escalating wildfire threats. With nearly 1.65 million hect...

Feb252025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Rising Ocean Heat Waves Threaten Arctic Marine Mammals with Higher Mortality, Lower Reproduction: Study

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

A new study has warned that Arctic and Subarctic marine mammals are facing rising mortality rates and declining reproductive success due to the increasing frequency and intensity of marine heat waves (MHWs). These extreme ocean temperature events, which can last for days or even years, pose a serious threat to species such as cetaceans, sea lions, seals, and walruses. The Arctic Ocean is projected to become a future hotspot for MHWs, with sea surface temperatures surpassing historical norms for extended periods. Scientists define an MHW as a temperature anomaly that exceeds the local 90th percentile threshold for at least five consecutive days. These heat waves have already been linked to widespread disruptions in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems. The study, published in Frontiers in ...

Feb242025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Karnataka to Stay Hot Humid as Pre-Monsoon Showers Expected in March

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Karnataka will continue to experience hot and humid conditions, with scattered rainfall likely in some parts over the next two weeks, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Maximum temperatures are expected to remain 3-5°C above normal across the north peninsular region, including Karnataka. Temperature data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) showed that most districts recorded highs above 35°C in mid-February, with northern regions like Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, and Yadgir reaching around 37.5°C. Bengaluru Urban saw a maximum temperature of 34.8°C. While a slight drop in temperatures is forecast for the last week of February, IMD predicts that pre-monsoon showers will likely arrive after the first week of March. The state has so far r...