Month: August 2026

Europe’s increasingly intense wildfires are creating a new danger in areas contaminated by unexploded bombs and military ammunition left behind from the two World Wars and the Cold War. Recent fires in Germany and France have highlighted the growing threat. When a wildfire swept through Germany’s Müritz National Park in July bomb disposal teams had to work alongside firefighters because parts of the forest contained buried Cold War era ammunition. A major wildfire in France Gironde region also exposed dozens of World War II-era shells. At least 75 shells were recovered near Le Porge while some reportedly detonated during the fire. One projectile even struck the wall of an evacuated house. Experts say prolonged heat from wildfires can trigger buried explosives. While short lived su...

  Turkiye’s integrated approach to flood risk reduction is showing significant results, with river rehabilitation measures helping reduce flood related costs by up to 95% in some high risk areas. The country Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has increasingly shifted its focus from responding to disasters to preventing and reducing risks before they escalate. A Department of Climate Related Disaster Risk Reduction was established in January 2024 to strengthen the integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. The approach has been particularly important in Türkiye Black Sea region, where intense rainfall, steep terrain, landslides and floods pose major risks. In April 2024, AFAD and the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (D...

  Saudi Arabia, home to the vast Rub’ al Khali or Empty Quarter, has one of the world’s largest concentrations of desert sand. Yet the country imports certain types of construction sand from countries including Australia. The reason lies not in the quantity of sand available, but in the shape, size and properties of the grains. The Empty Quarter covers roughly 650,000 square kilometres across the southern Arabian Peninsula. Its dunes contain enormous quantities of sand, with some rising more than 250 metres. However, much of this wind shaped sand is unsuitable for conventional structural concrete. Why desert sand is unsuitable for concrete Concrete requires aggregate with grains that can effectively interlock. River sand and crushed quarry material generally contain angula...

  The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Tamil Nadu’s plea seeking Karnataka compliance with directions to release Cauvery water to the neighbouring State. The application will be heard on August 13. Appearing before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday senior advocate C.S. Vaidyanathan, representing Tamil Nadu, said the continuing shortfall in Cauvery water allocation had placed farmers in the State in a difficult situation. Tamil Nadu has sought a direction to Karnataka to implement the July 30 decision of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), which asked Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily for 15 days from the Kabini and Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) reservoirs. The State has asked that 4.536 TMC of water be released by August 12, corresponding to...

August 11, 2026: Growing wildfire risks in Britain are prompting calls for a dedicated national wildfire service, but experts say specialist aircraft and professional firefighters alone will not be enough to tackle the country’s emerging wildfire challenge. Increasing periods of heat, drought and dry vegetation are creating conditions that can allow wildfires to spread more quickly and become more difficult to control. While Britain does not typically experience the massive forest fires seen in parts of southern Europe, North America and Australia, wildfires are becoming a growing concern across grasslands, heathlands, moors, peatlands and areas where homes and businesses border open landscapes. Why prevention matters Experts argue that wildfire preparedness must begin well bef...

August 11, 2026: A mass wildfire evacuation drill held in Spokane, Washington, just months before devastating fires swept through the area is being credited with helping emergency officials and residents prepare for a real-life evacuation involving more than 60,000 people. The experience highlighted the importance of practising evacuation plans before a disaster occurs, particularly in communities where limited roads can quickly become congested when large numbers of residents attempt to escape at the same time. Why wildfire evacuations are difficult Evacuating during a wildfire is far more complicated than simply getting into a vehicle and driving away. Fast moving flames, changing winds, thick smoke and limited road networks can turn evacuation routes into traffic bottlenecks. ...

  At least 132 people have been killed and more than 480 injured after a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, triggering widespread building collapses and prompting the government to declare a national disaster. The earthquake struck at 7:34am local time on Monday at a depth of about 103 kilometres, according to Colombia’s geological service. The epicentre was near San José del Palmar in Chocó province, but the tremor was felt across a large part of the country and in neighbouring Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams continue searching collapsed buildings for survivors. Pereira, located about 55 kilometres from the epicentre, has suffered some of the worst damage. Local authorities reported at least 40...

August 11, 2026: More than five decades ago, Australian pilot Don Adams took on an ambitious restoration project on a severely degraded coral island at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. His efforts on Lady Elliot Island helped lay the foundation for a long-term ecological recovery that continues today. When Adams first arrived on the island in 1969, Lady Elliot looked very different from the tropical destination it is now. Decades of guano mining had stripped much of its nutrient-rich soil and vegetation, while introduced goats prevented new plants from becoming established. Adams secured a tourism lease from the Australian government and began restoring the damaged island. Among the challenges he faced was a severe lack of freshwater. He transported drums of water by aircr...

  Gurugram: Illegal ramps, encroachments on green belts and footpaths, and unauthorised structures are worsening waterlogging and traffic congestion across Gurugram, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has warned. The civic body has issued a public notice against unauthorised ramps constructed over public roads and streets, saying they reduce the effective width of carriageways, obstruct traffic movement and, in several cases, contribute to waterlogging. The warning comes after Gurugram received 97 mm of rainfall on August 7, which flooded several arterial roads and low lying areas and once again exposed the city’s drainage problems. MCG and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority have identified 155 waterlogging hotspots across the city this monsoon. Zone ...