Month: November 2025

A new analysis released by NASA’s Earth Observatory has revealed a stark and persistent decline in Arctic sea ice, confirming that both summer and winter ice levels have been shrinking for decades. The findings, based on satellite records spanning from 1978 to March 2025, show that the Arctic is undergoing rapid and unprecedented change, with scientists warning that parts of the region could become ice-free before the end of the century. For centuries, the Arctic Ocean has followed a predictable cycle: sea ice expands through winter, reaching its maximum in March, and melts in summer, hitting its minimum in September. While this rhythm continues, NASA’s long-term images and measurements show that the overall volume of ice is diminishing year after year. The latest comparison, made throu...

Germany has announced a major financial commitment to Brazil newly launched rainforest protection fund, pledging €1 billion over the next decade to support global efforts to curb deforestation and strengthen climate action. The announcement was made at the UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, where Brazil unveiled an ambitious framework to safeguard the world’s tropical forests. Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva confirmed the pledge on Wednesday, calling it a crucial boost for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a global mechanism designed to reward rainforest conservation and penalise deforestation through satellite-based monitoring. The system aims to directly support countries that protect their forests while ensuring accountability for t...

For nearly four centuries, an entire continent lay unnoticed beneath the waves of the southwest Pacific. Known today as Zealandia, this vast underwater landmass larger than India and almost two-thirds the size of Australia spent most of human history missing from maps, overlooked by textbooks and absent from scientific agreement. Only in recent years has it finally claimed recognition as Earth’s long-lost eighth continent. In 2017, a team of geologists formally declared Zealandia a continent after decades of accumulating clues. Their finding stunned the global scientific community. Zealandia possesses a continental crust, distinct tectonic boundaries, and a clear geological lineage that traces back to the supercontinent Gondwana. Yet 94 percent of it lies submerged beneath the ocean, ma...

The Supreme Court’s latest move to recall its earlier Vanashakti judgement has reopened a crucial debate in India’s environmental governance. The development raises concerns that prior environmental clearance, a mandatory safeguard meant to prevent ecological damage, may gradually become optional if retrospective approvals gain legal acceptance again. Supreme Court reopens issue of retrospective clearances On November 18, 2025, the Supreme Court recalled its May 15 Vanashakti vs Union of India judgement, which had categorically barred the grant of retrospective or ex post facto environmental clearances. The earlier ruling had invalidated the Union environment ministry’s 2017 Notification and 2021 Office Memorandum that allowed industries to regularise violations even after beginning ...

Delhi-NCR has moved into a sharper phase of pollution control, with authorities advancing the 50% work-from-home (WFH) recommendation as air quality remains trapped in the “very poor” to “severe” bracket. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has shifted the WFH advisory from Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to Stage 3, accelerating action in response to the deteriorating air. The decision, issued on November 21, pushes state governments and the Delhi administration to activate mobility-reducing measures much earlier than before. WFH and Staggered Office Timings Come Into Force Following the directive, the Delhi government on Saturday advised private offices to function with only half their staff on site, while the rest work remotely. Environment minist...

NDRF’s 5th Battalion conducted Maharashtra’s first-ever workshop on CBRN Preparedness and Response on Friday at the 3D Auditorium in the Humboldt Penguin Section of Mumbai’s Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo, Byculla. The programme was held under the guidance of NDRF Director General Piyush Anand and marked a major step toward enhancing readiness for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergencies in the state. Key Leadership and Expert Participation Prof (Dr) Dinesh Kumar Aswal, Member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), attended the event as the chief guest and addressed participants with detailed insights on strengthening India’s approach to CBRN risks. He emphasised the critical need for faster preparedness, stronger inter-agency coord...

With climate change intensifying and natural disasters becoming more frequent in the Himalayan region, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi has begun developing advanced Virtual Reality (VR) technology to strengthen disaster awareness, training and planning. The initiative aims to help communities, responders and officials better understand and prepare for emergencies that repeatedly strike Himachal Pradesh during the monsoon season. VR for Realistic Disaster Simulation IIT Mandi’s Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management is creating immersive VR headsets that allow users to experience real-time disaster scenarios in a safe, controlled environment. The simulations demonstrate how landslides begin, how floodwaters rise, or how buildings behave during earthquakes. Th...

GMDA and MCG have stepped up enforcement and dust-control measures across Gurugram, launching a coordinated crackdown to curb rising pollution levels in some of the city most sensitive zones. The drive comes days after the Haryana government assigned dual charge to MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya, who now also serves as CEO of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), allowing both bodies to operate under a unified command. Citywide Inspections Across High-Dust Zones Officials said joint teams are conducting continuous inspections across Civil Lines, Sector 15, construction corridors and commercial stretches where dust levels remain persistently high. Strict monitoring of construction sites, road repair works, demolition activities and material storage zones has been in...

Delhi’s air quality plunged deeper into the danger zone on Friday, prompting doctors, pollution experts and residents to issue urgent warnings about a crisis that has now begun to severely impact public health across the National Capital Region. With several parts of the city recording air quality in the ‘severe’ category and hospitals reporting a sharp surge in respiratory cases, the situation has been officially described as “life threatening”. AQI Worsens For Eighth Consecutive Day Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 370 at 9 am on Friday, according to data from the Sameer app. This marks the eighth day in a row that the Capital has remained in the ‘very poor’ category. Numbers have steadily climbed through the week, rising from 351 on Monday to 392 by Wednesday, signalling a ...

A sealed limestone tomb in central Egypt has yielded a scientific breakthrough that is reshaping the understanding of how early Egyptian civilisation emerged. From inside a ceramic burial pot, scientists have extracted the first complete genome ever sequenced from Egypt’s Old Kingdom period, revealing a surprising genetic connection between North Africa and ancient Mesopotamia. Discovery Inside a Pot Burial The remains were found in a rock-cut tomb located about 275 kilometres south of Cairo. The man, buried between 2855 and 2570 BCE, was placed inside a large ceramic vessel and sealed away in a cool underground chamber. Despite Egypt’s harsh climate, two molars preserved enough genetic material to unveil a major chapter in the region’s human history. A detailed skeletal study sug...