Month: February 2026

    More than six decades after their lands were acquired for one of independent India’s earliest thermal power projects, many Adivasi families in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district continue to live without secure housing, stable livelihoods or even legal electricity. Their story is intertwined with the rise of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), established in 1948 as one of India’s first major river valley development projects. Modeled partly on the Tennessee Valley Authority in the United States, the DVC was envisioned as a symbol of modern nation-building controlling floods, generating electricity and accelerating industrial growth. In the late 1950s, land was acquired to build the Chandrapura Thermal Power Station. Spread across 1,800 acres in what is now Jharkhand’s ...

    On the shifting edge of the Tengger Desert, thin rows of poplars stand like a fragile barricade against advancing sand. For decades, China has pursued one of the most ambitious environmental engineering projects in history a vast afforestation drive widely known as the Green Great Wall, designed to halt the spread of the Gobi Desert and other northern deserts. From satellite imagery, the results appear striking. Expanding green belts cut across once-barren land. Officials report that tens of millions of hectares of forest and shrubland have been added since the late 1970s. In cities once battered by frequent dust storms, residents say the “black wind days” have become less common. But beyond the headlines and aerial photographs, scientists are raising a more compl...

    The rapid melting of Arctic sea ice may be reshaping one of the world’s most critical weather systems India’s summer monsoon according to new research by scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). The study finds that declining Arctic sea ice, particularly in early summer, is closely linked to stronger and increasingly westward-shifting monsoon rainfall across India in the later months of the season. India’s summer monsoon delivers nearly 80% of the country’s annual rainfall between June and September, sustaining agriculture, replenishing reservoirs, and supporting hundreds of millions of people. In recent decades, meteorologists have observed two significant trends: an overall rise in rainfall intensity and a noticeable drift of heavy late...

    From China to Europe and North America, rivers are being transformed by intensifying droughts, floods and heatwaves with mounting consequences for biodiversity and water security, according to a new global review published in The Conversation. Researchers from institutions including the University of Canterbury, the University of Washington, and Inrae say extreme climatic events are pushing river ecosystems beyond their limits, often causing irreversible damage. Rivers Under Pressure In 2022, unprecedented heat and drought reduced sections of the Yangtze River the world third-longest river to critically low levels. While the economic impacts on hydropower, shipping and industry were widely reported, scientists say the ecological fallout was less visible but equ...

    India’s tigers are exhibiting noticeable behavioural changes, including a rise in attacks on humans and increased movement outside protected areas, according to the State of India’s Environment 2026 report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The report, unveiled during the Anil Agarwal Dialogue 2026 near Alwar, suggests that ecological degradation, habitat saturation and human proximity to forests are reshaping the behaviour of the country’s big cats. Between January and June 2025, at least 43 people were killed in tiger-related incidents near reserves across India. During the same period in 2024, 44 fatalities were recorded. In four of the 43 attacks in 2025, tigers reportedly consumed parts of the victims. While tigers rarely become habi...

    A vast tree-planting campaign around the Taklamakan Desert in northwest China has transformed parts of the once-barren landscape into a seasonal carbon sink, according to new research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The Taklamakan, spread across roughly 337,000 square kilometres in China’s Xinjiang region, has long been considered one of the world’s most inhospitable deserts. Ringed by high mountain ranges that block moist air, it receives minimal rainfall often less than 16 millimetres per month even during the wet season. But satellite observations and ground measurements now indicate that the desert’s vegetated fringes are absorbing more carbon dioxide (CO₂) than they release during the summer months. In climate terms, that ...

    The Supreme Court on Tuesday closed a suo motu case initiated in 2021 to address the remediation of polluted rivers, bringing to an end five years of limited progress. The court directed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to reopen the matter and continue monitoring efforts related to river pollution. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant questioned the practicality of the apex court examining pollution levels in rivers across the country. “Is it possible for this court to look at all the polluted rivers? We can look at it one by one. We also keep entertaining so many matters and issue directions... we also have to see that we entertain matters together. Why should we have a multiplicity of issues like this?” the Chief Justice observed during the hearing...

    Microbes may be microscopic, but their survival strategies are remarkably sophisticated. A new study published in Cell Systems sheds light on why many bacteria choose cooperation over self-sufficiency and how nutrient sharing helps entire communities thrive in changing environments. Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a mathematical model to understand how microbes trade essential nutrients, particularly amino acids. Their findings help explain why so-called “auxotrophs” microbes that cannot produce certain nutrients on their own are so common in nature. At first glance, auxotrophy appears to be a weakness. A microbe that cannot make a vital nutrient must depend on its surroundings or neighboring organisms to survive. Yet auxotro...

    Earth continents may one day merge into a single vast landmass once again and the consequences for life could be severe. New projections suggest that in about 250 million years, today’s drifting continents will collide to form a future supercontinent, dramatically reshaping global geography and climate. The study, published in Nature indicates that much of this merged landmass would experience extreme heat and widespread aridity, leaving only limited areas suitable for mammals. The research, led by scientists at the University of Bristol, used plate tectonic reconstructions to model how Earth’s landmasses may assemble in the distant future. Over millions of years, oceanic crust cools and sinks at subduction zones, pulling continents together and gradually closing ...

    In a renewed push to curb plastic pollution in ecologically sensitive forest zones, the Kanniyakumari forest department has intensified inspections at the Zero Point and Keeriparai check posts, key entry points to popular tourist destinations in the district. The move comes amid rising footfall to Kodhayar, Irattai Aruvi and Kalikesam, particularly during weekends, prompting concerns from environmentalists about the growing risk of littering in forest interiors. While check posts were already operational at these locations, residents and activists had called for stricter monitoring and greater awareness among visitors. Acting on these concerns, forest officials have stepped up vehicle inspections before granting entry into reserve forest areas. Cages have been ins...