Month: August 2026

A former coal mine in northwestern Spain has been transformed from a massive industrial pit into a large artificial lake offering an example of how degraded mining landscapes can be rehabilitated after extraction ends. The As Pontes mine in Galicia was developed in the 1940s for the extraction of lignite, or brown coal. Over nearly six decades, around 260 million tonnes of lignite were extracted, leaving behind an open pit more than 300 metres deep. The mine was closely linked to a large coal fired power plant operated by Endesa. However, stricter European Union air pollution regulations eventually led to the permanent closure of the mine in 2007. Rather than leaving the enormous excavation abandoned authorities and engineers undertook a major environmental rehabilitation project....

  In Odisha Malkangiri district an indigenous crop called Roselle, locally known as Bhenda Dal is helping tribal communities strengthen food security and adapt to increasingly unpredictable weather conditions. Roselle, scientifically known as Hibiscus sabdariffa, has traditionally been cultivated by tribal communities in the region. The crop can grow on rainfed uplands and hill slopes with limited water and few external inputs, making it particularly suitable for areas where agriculture depends heavily on monsoon rainfall. The crop is widely grown in the Swabhiman Anchal region of Chitrakonda block, where farming is predominantly rainfed. Its ability to withstand moisture stress makes it a useful option for farmers facing irregular rainfall, prolonged dry periods and rising t...

Switzerland Rhone Glacier has lost more than four metres of ice in just one month as successive heatwaves and low winter snowfall accelerate melting in the Alps. According to Switzerland’s Glacier Monitoring Service (GLAMOS), the glacier has been melting at an average rate of around 10 centimetres per day since mid June. Scientists say unusually high temperatures in May, June and July, combined with below-average snowfall during winter, have left the glacier without its usual protective layer of snow. Matthias Huss a glaciologist at ETH Zurich and head of GLAMOS said the glacier is being affected by melting both from above and below. Meltwater flowing beneath the ice has carved large cavities, weakening the glacier from within and contributing to collapses. Measurements taken duri...

August 10, 2026: The world mangrove forests appear to be showing signs of recovery after decades of widespread destruction according to a recent study examining four decades of global data. Researchers found that since 2010, mangrove forests have expanded by more than 2,000 square kilometres. For the first time since satellite monitoring began in 1984, the rate at which mangroves are expanding has surpassed the rate at which they are declining. Mangroves are important coastal ecosystems that provide shelter and breeding grounds for numerous species while also helping protect communities from flooding, erosion, storms, cyclones and tsunamis. They are also highly effective carbon stores. Research indicates that mangrove forests can hold roughly four times more carbon than other land...

  Southern California: Nearly a century ago, a massive engineering project set out to solve one of Southern California’s biggest challenges: a growing population and a limited local water supply. The Colorado River Aqueduct, stretching about 242 miles (389 kilometres), was built to transport water from the Colorado River across mountains and vast stretches of desert to communities in Southern California. Construction of the aqueduct began in 1933 and was completed in 1941. Financed through a $220 million bond approved in 1931, the project was also an important source of employment during the Great Depression. Around 30,000 people worked on the eight-year construction effort, with the workforce reaching as many as 10,000 at a time. Why Southern California needed more water ...

  Srinagar, August 10, 2026: Water chestnuts harvested from Kashmir’s lakes may be accumulating heavy metals from polluted water, raising concerns over food safety and the deteriorating condition of the Valley’s freshwater ecosystems, according to a study published in Scientific Reports, part of the Nature portfolio. Researchers examined water sediments and water chestnut (Trapa natans) plants from four major freshwater bodies Dal Lake, Hokersar Wetland, Manasbal Lake and Wular Lake. The study analysed several heavy metals, including potentially toxic cadmium and chromium and found a clear variation in contamination across the water bodies. Dal Lake records highest contamination Among the four sites Dal Lake recorded the highest overall heavy metal contamination, followed ...

A new study has raised concerns over Maharashtra’s changing climate, finding that compound drought and heatwave events are becoming more frequent and severe including during the monsoon season. Published in the International Journal of Climatology, the study analysed district level data from 1960 to 2025 and identified 1990 as a major turning point. Since then, Maharashtra has witnessed a significant increase in both the frequency and intensity of compound drought and heatwave (CDHW) events. The findings suggest that these extreme events are no longer largely restricted to the pre-monsoon summer months. The monsoon season has emerged as the period showing the strongest intensification, with several parts of the state now experiencing frequent combinations of rainfall deficits and unu...

  The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Himachal Pradesh, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of the state on Monday and Tuesday. Heavy to very heavy rain is also expected at isolated places in Uttarakhand, east Rajasthan and west Madhya Pradesh. Several other states are likely to experience heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds as the southwest monsoon remains active. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are expected to remain wet over the coming days. The Shimla Meteorological Centre has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh with wet conditions likely to continue through August 14. In east Rajasthan heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast on Monday with very heavy rain possi...

A NASA satellite has captured a striking turquoise and green halo surrounding New Zealand's Chatham Islands, revealing a large summer phytoplankton bloom shaped by ocean currents and an underwater plateau. The image, recorded on January 10, 2026, by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the NOAA-20 satellite, shows swirling bands of phytoplankton around the remote island group located about 800 kilometres east of New Zealand's South Island. Scientists said the bloom was driven by the Chatham Rise, a vast underwater plateau measuring about 800 kilometres long and 300 kilometres wide. The submerged feature helps maintain the boundary between cold, nutrient-rich Antarctic waters and warmer subtropical waters, creating favourable conditions for phytoplankton growth...

  Europe's forests are losing aboveground biomass at an unprecedented rate, with annual biomass loss per hectare increasing by 46% since 2018 compared to the previous three decades according to a new satellite based study published in Nature Geoscience. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich analysed satellite data from 1985 to 2023 to assess changes in forest biomass, which represents the amount of carbon stored in trees. The study found a sharp rise in biomass loss after 2018, raising concerns that Europe's forests are becoming less effective at absorbing carbon dioxide as climate change intensifies. Unlike earlier studies that focused mainly on tree cover, the researchers combined satellite observations of forest cover with biomass density data to estimate car...