Month: June 2026

A new interactive dashboard launched by the Centre for Disaster Protection is providing the first detailed country level view of how pre arranged disaster financing works around the world. The platform called the State of Pre Arranged Financing (PAF) Dashboard covers 82 countries and tracks data from 2017 to 2024, allowing governments, researchers and development agencies to examine how countries prepare financially for disasters and how quickly funds are released when crises occur. According to the Centre for Disaster Protection, pre arranged finance reached USD 9.2 billion in 2024. These financial instruments are designed to provide funds before disasters occur, enabling governments to respond rapidly when floods, droughts, earthquakes, cyclones or other hazards strike. Until no...

A series of recent scientific studies and environmental reports have highlighted the growing challenges facing the planet, from worsening air pollution and climate-driven health risks to expanding plastic contamination in oceans. At the same time, researchers and innovators are developing new solutions that could help address some of these pressing environmental concerns. One of the most alarming findings comes from a 25-year study that identified Bihar and West Bengal as major particulate pollution hotspots. Researchers found that pollution levels across the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the Himalayas and northeast India have increased significantly since 2000, with biomass burning emerging as a key driver. The study warned that emissions from the plains are now affecting even the fragile Himal...

New Delhi: Wildlife tourism, long promoted as a tool for conservation and economic development, is increasingly facing criticism from local communities, conservationists and researchers who argue that the current safari model often benefits tourists and businesses more than the people living alongside wildlife. A recent analysis published in Down To Earth highlights growing opposition to safari tourism in and around India's tiger reserves, where residents say the costs of conservation are being unfairly borne by local communities while the benefits remain concentrated among a few stakeholders. India's rising tiger population has been widely celebrated as a conservation success story. However, residents of buffer zones surrounding protected areas report increasing encounters with wild...

Scientists studying the Great Pacific Garbage Patch have discovered that floating plastic waste is doing more than polluting the oceans. It is creating entirely new ecosystems in the open sea, allowing coastal species to survive, reproduce and establish communities thousands of kilometres away from land. The findings suggest that plastic pollution is fundamentally changing marine ecosystems by providing long lasting habitats for organisms that were once confined to coastlines. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between California and Hawaii, is one of the world's largest accumulations of marine debris. Formed within the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a vast system of rotating ocean currents, the region traps floating waste instead of allowing it to disperse. Today, the area...

Researchers in China have discovered a soil bacterium capable of breaking down polyethylene, one of the world's most widely used and persistent plastics. The finding could offer a new approach to tackling plastic pollution in agricultural lands where plastic mulch films are commonly used. The study, conducted by researchers at Hangzhou Normal University in Zhejiang Province, identified a bacterium named Bacillus PE4 that naturally degrades plastic waste buried in soil. Plastic Mulch Creates a Growing Environmental Challenge Polyethylene is used extensively in agricultural mulch films, grocery bags and packaging materials. Its durability makes it useful for everyday applications but also extremely difficult to decompose in nature. In farming regions, plastic mulch films are wide...

As India faces increasingly intense and prolonged heatwaves, experts say a simple and affordable solution cool roofs remains largely underutilised, especially among low income urban households. Cool roofs use reflective coatings that reduce the amount of heat absorbed by rooftops, helping lower indoor temperatures by 2-3 degrees Celsius. In cities where concrete roofs trap heat throughout the day and release it slowly at night, these coatings can make homes significantly more comfortable while reducing dependence on fans and air conditioners. Despite their proven benefits, adoption remains limited. According to experts, the challenge is not merely a lack of awareness but a combination of financial, social and behavioural barriers that prevent households from investing in the technolo...

A groundbreaking scientific study has reconstructed nearly 4,000 years of climate, vegetation, and flood history of Majuli, the world's largest inhabited river island in Assam, providing valuable insights that could help communities better adapt to recurring floods and erosion. Conducted by researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, the study analyzed ancient pollen and sediment samples collected from the Sakali Wetland on Majuli Island. The findings reveal how climate patterns, vegetation cover, and river dynamics have evolved over millennia in one of India's most ecologically and culturally important regions. Majuli, situated within the Brahmaputra River system, is renowned for its rich biodiversity and Neo-Vaishnavite cultural heritage. However,...

A new book documenting urban forestry projects across Africa argues that trees and green spaces are becoming essential tools in the fight against climate change, biodiversity loss, and growing urban inequality. As African cities expand at one of the fastest rates in the world, experts say urban forests are no longer a luxury but a necessity for creating healthier and more resilient communities. Africa’s population is approaching 1.5 billion, and nearly 80 percent of future population growth is expected to occur in urban areas. At the same time, climate change is bringing more frequent heatwaves, hotter nights, and increasing flood risks to many cities. In response, governments and local authorities are investing in tree planting campaigns, urban parks, and green corridors to help reduce...