Month: July 2025

As the Fourth International Financing for Development Conference (FFD4) continues in Seville, Spain, a powerful theme has emerged: the urgent need to reform global climate finance ahead of COP30 in Belem, Brazil. With global leaders, economists, and civil society voices coming together, the discussions have underscored a growing consensus—climate and development cannot be separated, and financing systems must be overhauled to meet the moment. From Seville to Belem: Connecting Finance with Climate Action A key high-level side event ‘Bridging Global Agendas: Scaling up Financing for People and Planet from FfD4 to COP30’ brought together major actors including the Igarape Institute, Club de Madrid, the Brazilian government, and Global Citizen. The goal: to lay the political and financial ...

Facing the real threat of vanishing beneath the sea by 2036, Kariyachalli Island home to one of India’s four major coral reefs is now the focus of an ambitious marine restoration project by the Tamil Nadu government. Under the Tamil Nadu Sustainably Harnessing Ocean Resources (TNSHORE) initiative, the state will deploy 8,500 artificial reef modules, plant seagrass beds, and restore coral ecosystems around the shrinking island in the Gulf of Mannar, a region known for its rich marine biodiversity. Island Shrinking Fast Over 70% Lost Since 1969 The uninhabited island has lost more than 70% of its landmass since 1969, shrinking from 20.85 hectares to just 3.14 hectares at high tide today. This rapid erosion is being driven by sea-level rise, reef degradation, and climate change-induced...

A sobering new report by the United Nations has revealed that extreme droughts, driven by global heating and intensified by El Niño, have triggered widespread wildlife deaths across Africa and the Amazon between 2023 and 2025. The study, Drought Hotspots Around the World 2023–2025, warns that ecological stress, starvation, and rising human-wildlife conflict are reshaping entire ecosystems and may leave permanent scars. Published on July 2, the report is a joint effort by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the US National Drought Mitigation Center, and the International Drought Resilience Alliance. It paints a grim picture of how heatwaves, prolonged dry spells, and resource scarcity have killed thousands of animals and disrupted fragile balances in biodiverse regions. ...

An early summer heatwave sweeping across Europe has already claimed eight lives and triggered severe disruption across multiple countries. As temperatures soared to record highs, health systems were put on alert, wildfires flared, and critical infrastructure, including a Swiss nuclear plant, was forced to scale down operations. Spain has reported four deaths two due to a wildfire in Catalonia and two others in Extremadura and Cordoba while France and Italy have each recorded two heat-related fatalities. France’s energy minister confirmed that over 300 people have been hospitalised due to heat stress. Italy issued red alerts for 18 cities, and temperatures in parts of Germany were expected to peak at 40°C, marking the hottest day of the year. In Sardinia, Italy, two men over 60 died o...

A massive explosion at Sigachi Industries’ pharmaceutical plant in Telangana’s Sangareddy district has left 15 people dead and 34 injured, sending shockwaves across the state. The tragic incident occurred late Monday, prompting an immediate response from authorities and emergency services. Telangana Health Minister C. Damodar Rajanarasimha confirmed the updated death toll and stated that two critically injured victims have been shifted to private super-specialty hospitals for advanced treatment. Medical teams remain on-site, providing care and coordinating patient transfers as needed. The state government has assured full financial compensation to the families of the deceased and is covering the medical expenses of the injured. Relief measures are being fast-tracked to support those ...

A new Stanford-led study offers compelling evidence that prescribed burns controlled low-intensity fires can significantly reduce the destructive impact of wildfires and limit hazardous smoke pollution across the western United States. The research, published June 26 in AGU Advances, found that such treatments lower wildfire intensity by an average of 16% and cut dangerous smoke emissions by 14%. Using satellite data, land records, and smoke inventories, the study compared areas that underwent prescribed burns between late 2018 and spring 2020 with nearby untreated areas, all of which burned during the extreme 2020 wildfire season. The findings revealed a clear advantage for treated areas, which burned less severely and emitted substantially less smoke. The study also highlighted a c...

Delhi’s much-anticipated cloud seeding experiment to combat air pollution has been postponed due to continuous monsoon activity. Initially set for early July, the project is now rescheduled for a late August launch, with officials citing unsuitable atmospheric conditions as the reason for the delay. The revised timeline, stretching from August 30 to September 10, is expected to provide clearer skies and more favorable cloud formations for the operation. The initiative is part of Delhi’s larger Environment Action Plan and is being carried out in collaboration with IIT Kanpur’s Department of Aerospace Engineering. The trial involves modified aircraft dispersing particles into clouds to trigger rainfall, with the goal of reducing airborne pollutants. These flights will focus on pollutio...

In a decisive move to protect South Africa’s fragile marine ecosystems, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has published a second draft of regulations aimed at curbing environmental risks from offshore fuel transfers specifically ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering operations. The updated draft introduces a risk-based management framework to reduce oil spill incidents and safeguard biodiversity in coastal hotspots like Algoa Bay. Since offshore bunkering began in Algoa Bay in 2016, four oil spills have been recorded, threatening over 260 endangered African Penguins and numerous other marine species. The bay, a UNESCO-recognized biodiversity hotspot, hosts the world’s largest breeding colony of African Penguins, whose populations have seen a steep decline. Annou...

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Lise Meitner Programme (LMP) has achieved a major milestone with a two-week educational and leadership-focused visit to Japan, empowering 15 early- to mid-career women professionals from 13 countries to step into leadership roles in the nuclear sector. Held from June 9 to 20, 2025, the visit marks a crucial step in narrowing the gender gap in nuclear science and technology. Hands-On Learning in a Global Nuclear Powerhouse Hosted jointly by the University of Tokyo, the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, and the Cabinet Office of Japan with support from the IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative the programme immersed participants in advanced nuclear engineering topics, from fuel design to radiation protection. Beyond technical knowledge, participant...