Month: September 2025

According to a recent report, the flash flood that devastated Dharali village in Uttarakhand, leaving dozens missing and feared dead, was a result of a critical failure in "last-mile communication." Despite the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing warnings two days in advance, the message did not effectively reach the community, turning a preventable forecast into a full-blown tragedy. The Problem with Current Climate Communication The incident in Dharali highlights a broader problem: climate communication in India is often too abstract and inaccessible. The report argues that for warnings to be effective, they must be: Messages need to be delivered in a way that creates a sense of immediate danger, not as a routine forecast. Information should be broken down into easy...

Lightning is the primary cause of wildfires in Canada, accounting for nearly half of all fires and over 90% of the total area burned, according to a new study. The research warns that the effects of climate change are expected to increase the frequency of these blazes, as rising temperatures lead to more lightning strikes and drier vegetation. A Growing Threat from Above A study published in May 2025, which analyzed data from 2000 to 2020, found that fires ignited by lightning tend to be more destructive than those caused by human factors. This is because lightning-induced fires often occur in isolated, hard-to-reach regions and can ignite in clusters, overwhelming fire management agencies. Scientists have also found a direct link between climate change and the increase in cloud-t...

NEW DELHI – A groundbreaking new study by Indian scientists has established a direct link between the formation of massive ice sheets in Antarctica 34 million years ago and the early evolution of the Indian monsoon system. This discovery, based on the analysis of fossil leaves from Nagaland, not only reshapes our understanding of Earth's climatic history but also serves as a crucial warning about the future impacts of global climate change. The research was led by scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (Lucknow) and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (Dehradun), both autonomous institutes under the Department of Science and Technology (DST). Fossil Evidence Unlocks a Climatic Mystery The investigation began with the discovery of remarkably well-preserve...

China is undergoing a massive clean energy transition that is poised to trigger a global decline in fossil fuel demand, according to a new report titled China Energy Transition Review 2025 by the think tank Ember. The report highlights China's rapid pace of clean energy investment and deployment, which is being driven by strategic goals beyond just climate change, including energy security and economic competitiveness. Key Findings from the Report In 2024, China invested a staggering $625 billion in clean energy, which accounted for 31% of the global total. Its wind and solar capacity more than doubled in just three years to reach 1,408 gigawatts (GW), surpassing coal's installed capacity by early 2025. The growth of wind and solar generation is outstripping electricity demand gro...

NEW DELHI – Hospitals across Delhi have sounded an alert as the national capital grapples with a significant outbreak of the H3N2 flu, a type of influenza A virus. Health officials are urging citizens to take precautions and seek medical help early, as this strain has shown a tendency to cause more severe and prolonged illness compared to other seasonal flu viruses. Understanding the Threat The H3N2 virus is known for its ability to mutate, making it more difficult to manage. It spreads easily through respiratory droplets from coughing, sneezing, or speaking, and can also be transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces. The symptoms typically appear within one to four days of exposure and can include: • Severe and sudden fever • Persistent cough • Sore throat • ...

Despite its name, Silent Valley National Park in Kerala is filled with the sounds of the rainforest. However, for centuries, it was uniquely distinguished by the absence of a familiar chorus: the piercing calls of cicadas. This remarkable lack of insect noise gave the valley its English name and became a central part of one of India's most famous environmental battles. Yet, recent reports and scientific surveys suggest that this long-standing silence may be breaking, and cicadas may be making a cautious return. A Striking Ecological Riddle The absence of cicadas in Silent Valley has long puzzled scientists. While cicadas are a common and noisy presence in most tropical rainforests, they were consistently missing from this 90-square-kilometer stretch of the Western Ghats. Scientists t...

For decades, beekeepers have battled the Varroa mite, a tiny parasite that has wreaked havoc on honey bee colonies worldwide. But a new and even deadlier threat is on the march: Tropilaelaps mercedesae, or “tropi.” Experts fear this new mite will cause greater devastation than Varroa, with potentially catastrophic ripple effects for the billions of people who rely on honey bee-pollinated crops. From Asia to Europe: A Rapidly Spreading Parasite Tropi's natural host is the giant honey bee (Apis dorsata) found in South and Southeast Asia. However, the mite has now jumped to the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), the species used by beekeepers globally. This host shift has enabled the parasite to spread westward, with recent detections in Ukraine, Georgia, and southern Russia. Its expec...

In response to heavy rainfall and a continued forecast for more, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has issued a flood warning for the city's twin reservoirs, Himayatsagar and Osman Sagar. The gates of both dams have been opened to release water and manage the dangerously high water levels, which are at or near their maximum capacity. Massive Water Discharge to Prevent Inundation As of Friday, the water level at Osman Sagar stood at 1789.50 feet against its full reservoir level (FRL) of 1790 feet. Similarly, Himayatsagar reached a level of 1763.20 feet, just shy of its 1763.50-foot FRL. To handle the significant inflow from upstream catchment areas, four gates at both reservoirs were opened. This action has led to a combined discharge of 8,000 ...

For generations, the Ghongha river was the lifeblood of Belgahana village in Chhattisgarh, but by the mid-2000s, it had been reduced to a dry scar on the land. Its decline began with the construction of a dam in 1980, which disrupted its natural flow and was exacerbated by unchecked stone quarrying. Now, a community-led revolution, spearheaded by local women, has legally declared the Ghongha a Gram Panchayat River Sanctuary, a model for sustainable, grassroots conservation. From Crisis to Community Action The river's decline had a devastating impact on Belgahana's economy and culture. The water table dropped, traditional farming practices became impossible, and many young people were forced to emigrate in search of work. Amid this crisis, Jugni Bai Patel, a local women's self-help gr...

To reduce the 40% of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and oceans, packaged water company Bisleri International has launched the "Bottles for Change" initiative. This new program, spearheaded by the company’s sustainability division, aims to promote a circular economy by connecting citizens, collectors, and recyclers through a mobile app. A Digital Solution for a Mounting Problem According to Bisleri, India consumes 13 million tonnes of plastic annually, with only 60% of it being recycled. The remaining waste, often consisting of non-recyclable items like wrappers and multi-layer packets, poses a significant threat to the environment. The "Bottles for Change" app is designed to address this gap by educating citizens on source segregation and facilitating the collection of used ...