Month: July 2026

  Beijing: Researchers in China have developed a low cost chemical process that converts difficult to recycle plastic waste into aviation fuel, offering a potential pathway to reduce plastic pollution while producing sustainable fuel for the aviation sector. The study, conducted by scientists at Fudan University in collaboration with the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute focuses on the hydrogenolysis of polyolefins the family of plastics commonly used in products such as shopping bags, food packaging and shampoo bottles. According to the researchers, the laboratory-scale process achieved an 82.3 per cent liquid fuel yield and 79 per cent selectivity towards aviation grade hydrocarbons (C8–C16 alkanes), the carbon chain length required for jet fuel. Unlike earlier approa...

  Cairo: Egypt Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has announced a series of measures to strengthen groundwater management and enhance flood protection in South Sinai as part of efforts to safeguard water resources and support sustainable development. The decisions were taken during a meeting between Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam and South Sinai Governor Ismail Kamal the ministry said in a statement. The two sides agreed to intensify monitoring of groundwater extraction, continue surveys to identify unlicensed wells and require their owners to obtain legal permits in accordance with national regulations. Sewilam stressed that deep groundwater aquifers, many of which are non-renewable, must be managed based on scientific principles to preven...

  July 23: Advances in deep drilling technology could make geothermal energy accessible across much of the world, potentially transforming it into a reliable round the clock source of clean electricity according to a report published by New Scientist. Geothermal power currently relies on naturally occurring underground reservoirs of hot water and steam, limiting large scale use to countries such as Iceland, New Zealand, Kenya and Indonesia. Unlike solar and wind energy, geothermal power provides continuous electricity generation regardless of weather conditions. Researchers and energy companies are now developing technologies that could overcome these geographical constraints. Enhanced geothermal systems create artificial pathways in hot underground rock to circulate water, w...

July 23: Two consecutive winters with record low Arctic sea ice have ended what appeared to be a slowdown in winter sea ice loss, restoring a statistically significant long term declining trend. Researchers found that Arctic winter sea ice appeared relatively stable during the early 2020s, prompting questions over whether the rate of decline had slowed. However, new observations from 2025 and 2026 have reversed that conclusion. The study found that the nearly 6 per cent decline in winter sea ice extent between 2024 and 2025 was the largest single year drop recorded since satellite monitoring began in the late 1970s. When data from the record low winters of 2025 and the near record low winter of 2026 were included, the 20 year trend once again showed a statistically significant declin...

  New Delhi, July 23: Climate change is increasingly threatening Ladakh's iconic apricot orchards with erratic rainfall, declining winter snowfall and rising temperatures disrupting cultivation of the fruit that forms the backbone of the region economy, food security and cultural heritage. According to a report nearly 62 per cent of India's total apricot production making the fruit one of the Union Territory's most valuable agricultural commodities. Besides being consumed fresh during summer, dried apricots and apricot based products such as oil, jams and juices provide nutrition and income to local communities throughout the year. However, changing weather patterns are putting this centuries-old farming system under stress. Scientists and farmers say intense rainfall, unusua...

  Bhopal, July 23: A rare granite formation in Madhya Pradesh's Pichhore region has been dated to approximately 2.56 billion years old, making it the second oldest known orbicular granite formation in the world according to a new international study. The research, conducted by scientists from Banaras Hindu University, IIT Kanpur, the University of Campinas (Brazil), the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, IISER Berhampur and AllGeo Solutions Pvt. Ltd., examined the Pichhore orbicular granite near Kutawali village in the Bundelkhand Craton. Researchers found that the granite contains distinctive spherical structures, known as orbicules, formed by rapid crystallisation during a sudden thermal pulse in a prehistoric magma chamber. These structures, some measuring...

  New Delhi, July 22: The Brazilian Amazon recorded its lowest level of forest fires in four decades in 2025, offering relief after the devastating wildfire season of 2024. However, scientists have warned that the possible arrival of a super El Niño could significantly increase the risk of fresh forest fires in the coming years. According to a report released by Brazil's environmental monitoring network MapBiomas around 3.1 million hectares of the Amazon burned in 2025 the smallest burned area since satellite based records began in 1985. Burned areas across Brazil also declined to their lowest level since 2018. The sharp decline follows the catastrophic 2024 fire season, when an unprecedented drought fuelled widespread wildfires across the world's largest tropical rainforest....

  Beijing: China large scale afforestation programme, launched in 1978 to curb the expansion of the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts, has resulted in the planting of more than 66 billion trees with new research showing that the plantations are expanding leaf cover significantly faster than natural forests. According to a 2026 study, planted forests in northern China are increasing their leaf area around 66 per cent faster than nearby natural woodlands. Researchers attribute the rapid canopy growth to the relatively young age of the plantations, the use of fast-growing tree species such as poplar, and active forest management practices, including vegetation control and regulated tree density. The study noted that vegetation cover across northern China has increased from about five ...

  Damascus, July 20: The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has donated three tracked hydraulic excavators to Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management to strengthen the country disaster preparedness, humanitarian response and post disaster recovery efforts. The handover took place during a ceremony at the ministry’s headquarters in Damascus, attended by Deputy Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Dr Ahmed Qazziz, Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Resident Representative in Syria Ghadfan Ajjoub, and AKF Syria Executive Director Dr Muhannad Obeido. Under a memorandum signed by both organisations, the ministry will receive ownership of the excavators, which are equipped with fuel efficient technology and electronic safety systems. The machinery will be deployed fo...

  New Delhi: The United Nations has called for reforms in the way climate negotiations are conducted at the annual Conference of the Parties (COP), with UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Simon Stiell saying wider consultations with member countries are needed to strengthen the process. Addressing the media during an official visit to New Delhi on July 21, Stiell said discussions on reforming COP negotiations have gained momentum three decades after the Convention was established. “There has been significant commentary on what reforms could look like. Wider consultation with Parties is needed, and several countries have already shared views on how the process can be strengthened and evolve,” he said. Stiell's remarks come amid growing ca...