Month: June 2025

Himachal Pradesh is grappling with a severe natural calamity after a powerful cloudburst triggered sudden flash floods, killing at least five people and leaving several others missing across Kullu and Kangra districts. The intense rainfall event, which unfolded late Wednesday night, caused significant destruction to homes, roads, and essential infrastructure, especially in remote mountainous regions. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu confirmed that five people have died, with three still missing in Kullu alone. In one hopeful development, a missing person was found alive after taking shelter in a nearby forest. Search and rescue teams, including disaster response personnel, are racing against time as heavy rains continue to lash parts of the state. “The region is steep and diffic...

A breakthrough set of experiments led by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) has provided compelling proof that improving weather observations in low-income countries leads to significantly better global weather forecasts. Commissioned by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the study marks a major milestone in forecasting science and could reshape climate resilience planning worldwide. The experiments were conducted under the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF), a UN-backed initiative aimed at closing major data gaps in weather monitoring, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) regions that face some of the highest climate risks but have the weakest observational infrastructure. Desp...

A chilling new study warns that the dangerous combination of hurricanes and heatwaves once a rare occurrence is becoming more common due to climate change, and could threaten millions in the coming decades. The research, published May 15 in Nature Communications, focuses on Hurricane Ida, which devastated Louisiana in 2021. The storm knocked out power to 35 million customers, and the heatwave that followed claimed 11 lives. Scientists now say this type of compound disaster could shift from a once-in-a-lifetime event to a regular occurrence. Led by Professor Ning Lin of Princeton University, the study reveals how warming temperatures are pushing heatwaves later into the year when hurricane season is still active. This increases the odds that people will face both disasters back-to-bac...

In a major step towards climate resilience and national safety, the New Zealand Government has unveiled a five-year emergency management roadmap aimed at overhauling the country’s disaster preparedness and response systems. Announced by Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell, the roadmap responds directly to findings from the Government Inquiry into the North Island Severe Weather Events, including the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. It sets the stage for transformative reforms as New Zealand faces more frequent and severe climate-related disasters. “New Zealand is facing more frequent and severe weather events, and we need to ensure our emergency management system is fit for purpose,” Minister Mitchell said. “This roadmap sets out the initiatives needed in...

In our daily lives we may not always articulate them, but many of us operate with an internal compass a set of values like empathy, fairness, respect for life or the pursuit of truth. Now, as humanity stares down escalating systemic risks from pandemics and climate change to technological disruptions, democratic erosion and geopolitical tensions our survival depends on whether we can apply those same values on a global scale. This was the challenge taken up by the Accelerator for Systemic Risk Assessment (ASRA). As outlined in our report, Facing Global Risks with Honest Hope, we confront a stark truth: our current tools and methods to assess and respond to risk are no longer enough. Systemic risks are not only more complex they are more interconnected, more unpredictable, and more likel...

In a startling revelation a new report by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) has uncovered how fossil fuels are silently powering our food systems, from farm to fork. Titled “Fuel to Fork: What Will it Take to Get Fossil Fuels Out of Our Food Systems?”, the report released on June 25, 2025, finds that food production now accounts for as much as 40% of global petrochemical use, making it one of the most fossil-fuel dependent industries worldwide. From synthetic fertilisers and pesticides to plastic packaging and cooking fuels, oil and gas are embedded at every stage of the food chain. The report paints a grim picture: our global dinner plates are now firmly tethered to oil rigs and conflict zones, with dire consequences for the climate and global f...

In a pivotal move signaling continued global unity on climate action, nearly 200 countries have agreed to boost the United Nations climate body’s budget by 10% for the 2026–2027 cycle, despite widespread financial pressures on international institutions. The decision was finalized during the UN climate negotiations in Bonn, reaffirming support for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at a time when many other UN agencies are facing deep funding cuts and operational constraints. A key feature of the new budget is the rise in China’s financial contribution, now making up 20% of the total—second only to the United States. This shift reflects China’s growing economic status and evolving responsibility in global climate leadership. Meanwhile, Bloomberg Philan...

A breakthrough set of experiments led by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) has provided compelling proof that improving weather observations in low-income countries leads to significantly better global weather forecasts. Commissioned by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the study marks a major milestone in forecasting science and could reshape climate resilience planning worldwide. The experiments were conducted under the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF), a UN-backed initiative aimed at closing major data gaps in weather monitoring, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) regions that face some of the highest climate risks but have the weakest observational infrastructure. Desp...

After multiple missed forecasts and rising anticipation, the monsoon is now expected to arrive in Delhi within the next 24 hours, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). A yellow alert has been issued for Thursday, with predictions of light to moderate rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds across various parts of the capital. The arrival of the monsoon has been delayed twice first forecasted for June 24, then expected on Wednesday both of which didn’t materialise. However, the IMD now says that conditions are finally favourable for the southwest monsoon to advance over Delhi, along with the remaining parts of western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan. In its latest statement, the IMD confirmed that the monsoon has already progressed into several parts of these ...

Once a vital waterway weaving through Chennai with clean, flowing water, the Buckingham Canal now lies stagnant and choked with pollutants, revealing the dire state of urban water management. Recent water samples from the canal show dangerously high levels of fecal contamination and toxic pollutants, yet a full-scale cleanup effort is still pending. Water analysis conducted by social activist O Unnikrishnan revealed that fecal coliform levels in the canal have soared to 1,600 MPN/100 ml, nearly seven times the permissible limit of 230 MPN/100 ml as set by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2019. Other parameters reflect an equally grim picture: biological oxygen demand (BOD) is at 123 mg/l (standard: 10 mg/l), chemical oxygen demand (COD) at 516 mg/l (standard: 50 mg/l), and total sus...