Month: October 2025

Pretoria– In a major stride toward ocean sustainability, South Africa has unveiled its first harbour-based net recycling facility at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The initiative, led by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, aims to tackle marine pollution while strengthening the nation’s blue economy. The new “micro-recycling pod,” installed at Collier Jetty, can process up to 100 kilograms of used fishing nets per hour. These discarded nets are shredded, washed, and transformed into clean plastic flakes that can be reused in industries ranging from packaging and textiles to automotive manufacturing. By recycling end-of-life and abandoned “ghost” fishing gear, the facility reduces plastic waste and helps protect marine life from entanglement. ...

London – The United Kingdom has formally joined the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC), marking a key milestone in the international effort to enhance nuclear safety, accountability, and environmental protection. The UK deposited its instrument of accession on October 3, 2025, becoming the 12th Contracting Party to the CSC. The convention will take effect for the UK on January 1, 2026. The CSC, established under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), provides a common legal framework to ensure prompt and adequate compensation for damage caused by nuclear incidents, covering harm to people, property, and the environment. The UK participation bridges existing regional frameworks under the Paris and Vienna Conventions, advancing efforts toward a singl...

Kalaburagi – The Kalyana Karnataka Horata Samiti organized a district-wide bandh in Kalaburagi on Monday, demanding urgent relief for farmers hit by recent floods and relentless rainfall. The protest, marked by widespread shutdowns, sought a special financial package, loan waivers, and compensation for crop losses. Farmer leader Dayanand Patil, speaking to ANI, said the protest symbolized growing frustration among farmers who feel neglected despite severe damage to their fields. He reiterated three key demands waiving of agricultural loans, financial support through the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), and compensation of Rs 25,000 per acre for affected farmers. “The rainfall has destroyed livelihoods, but the government’s response has been slow,” Patil stated. Responding to t...

Natural disasters across Việt Nam have claimed 238 lives or left people missing, injured 367 others, and damaged or unroofed nearly 258,000 houses since the beginning of the year, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp. He revealed the figures during a government meeting on Thursday that focused on urgent recovery efforts following Typhoon Matmo one of the most destructive storms to hit the country in recent years. More than 555,000 hectares of rice fields, crops, and plantations have been inundated since January, bringing total estimated damages to VNĐ33.549 trillion (approximately US$1.4 billion). Typhoon Matmo and its aftermath alone left 15 people dead or missing and seven injured as of Thursday morning. The storm’s heavy rains and floods su...

Kolkata – Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will on Sunday travel again to north Bengal to oversee ongoing relief and rehabilitation operations in areas devastated by recent landslides and floods, officials said. Since October 4, at least 32 people have lost their lives and thousands have been rendered homeless after heavy rainfall triggered landslides and flash floods across the northern districts of West Bengal. Banerjee, who had earlier spent four days in the region from October 5 to monitor rescue and relief efforts, is returning to personally assess the situation and expedite assistance for affected families. According to officials, the Chief Minister will first visit Hasimara in Alipurduar district, where she will chair a high-level administrative meeting to review relief measu...

Patna – Bihar, a state long familiar with the fury of floods, lightning, droughts, heatwaves, cold spells, and earthquakes, is observing this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction with renewed urgency. The global theme, “Fund resilience, not disasters,” holds special relevance for Bihar, where natural calamities strike with devastating frequency and intensity. According to a report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), India recorded 321 major catastrophic events over the past two decades, resulting in around 80,000 deaths a large number of them in Bihar. The country also suffered an estimated economic loss of USD 80 billion during this period. In Bihar alone, hundreds of lives are lost every year to natural disasters. Climate change, unplan...

Pretoria- In a major stride toward ocean sustainability, South Africa has unveiled its first harbour-based net recycling facility at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The initiative, led by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, aims to tackle marine pollution while strengthening the nation’s blue economy. The new “micro-recycling pod,” installed at Collier Jetty, can process up to 100 kilograms of used fishing nets per hour. These discarded nets are shredded, washed, and transformed into clean plastic flakes that can be reused in industries ranging from packaging and textiles to automotive manufacturing. By recycling end-of-life and abandoned “ghost” fishing gear, the facility reduces plastic waste and helps protect marine life from entanglement. ...

Cape Town– In a major stride toward global disaster preparedness, G20 ministers have endorsed a declaration committing to people-centred, multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS). The statement, adopted during the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction under South Africa’s Presidency, coincided with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, themed “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters.” The declaration, welcomed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), calls for stronger investment, international cooperation, and the empowerment of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) as key players in issuing reliable forecasts. It stresses that early warning systems must be inclusive, accessible, and backed by sustainable funding to protect vulnerable commu...

This World Mental Health Day, observed on October 10, brings attention to a crucial yet often overlooked issue the mental toll of disasters. Whether it’s floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, or heatwaves, natural calamities don’t just destroy homes and livelihoods; they deeply affect emotional well-being, triggering anxiety, stress, depression, and long-term trauma. This year’s theme highlights the importance of mental health during humanitarian emergencies, calling for stronger preparedness and resilience-building before disaster strikes. Communities worldwide are now adopting creative and compassionate strategies to strengthen mental resilience. From meditative workshops in Puerto Rico to national frameworks in Australia, these initiatives prove that prioritising mental health in disaster...

Kolkata, October 13 – The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has officially declared the complete withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from West Bengal, signalling the start of drier conditions across the state. According to the IMD, mainly dry weather is expected over the next week as skies begin to clear. The monsoon withdrawal line currently passes through Karwar, Kalburgi, Nizamabad, Kanker, Keonjhargarh, Sagar Island, and Guwahati, marking a significant shift in the season’s weather patterns. In Kolkata, no rainfall was recorded in the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 a.m. on Monday. The city’s maximum temperature stood at 31 degrees Celsius, while the minimum settled at 24 degrees, both normal for this period. The IMD forecast suggests partly cloudy skies until Tuesday morning, ...