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Once larger than Lake Huron, the Aral Sea has lost around 93% of its water volume since the 1960s largely due to river diversions for irrigation. The Aral Sea, once one of the world’s largest inland water bodies, has suffered a dramatic decline over the past six decades, losing around 93% of its water volume due largely to extensive irrigation projects. Its disappearance highlights how human activities can transform an enormous lake within a single generation. In 1960, the Aral Sea covered approximately 68,000 square kilometres, making it larger than Lake Huron and Lake Michigan by surface area. It was the fourth-largest lake in the world by area, behind the Caspian Sea, Lake Superior and Lake Victoria. Today, its remaining water bodies cover roughly 8,300 square kilometres, accordi...

Sikkim’s first Himalayan Yak Festival has renewed calls for yak conservation, with a proposal to establish a ‘Himalayan Pole’ or ‘Yak Pole’ to highlight the animal’s unique importance to the region. Sikkim has renewed efforts to conserve its declining yak population with a proposal to establish a ‘Himalayan Pole’, also known as the ‘Yak Pole’, recognising the animal’s ecological, cultural and economic importance to Himalayan communities. The proposal was put forward by Thupden Lachungpa, an executive member of the Yak Federation of India, during the state’s first Himalayan Yak Festival, which began on October 28 in Gnathang Valley near the India-China border. Organised by Sikkim’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department, the festival aims to protect yak populations, prom...

A river restoration project has expanded the habitat of the critically endangered doring fiery redfin from 2 km to 10 km by removing invasive spotted bass from South Africa’s Breekkrans River. An ambitious conservation project in South Africa has helped protect the critically endangered doring fiery redfin by removing invasive spotted bass from the Breekkrans River, giving native fish a greater chance of recovery. The Breekkrans River Restoration Project is being carried out by the Freshwater Research Centre in collaboration with Cape Nature and the Fynbos Fish Trust. Since 2023, the team has worked during the Southern Hemisphere summer to eradicate invasive bass from the river and prevent them from returning. Spotted bass were introduced into the river system in the late 1930s, pri...

Research in Kashmir’s Sindh Basin identifies key elevations that replenish groundwater, highlighting the need to protect mountain landscapes to restore declining springs. Springs across Kashmir’s Himalayan region are experiencing declining water flow, raising concerns about the availability of water for households, agriculture and livestock. Scientists say protecting the landscapes where groundwater is replenished could be essential to restoring these vital water sources. Research conducted in the Sindh Basin of Ganderbal district has identified elevations between 1,750 and 2,875 metres above sea level as important potential recharge zones for many springs. These are areas where rainfall and melting snow seep into the ground before travelling underground and emerging as springs at lowe...

NASA funded researchers are using satellite imagery and water quality models to map the impact of a September algae bloom on oyster farms along Virginia’s Eastern Shore. NASA funded researchers are helping Virginia officials assess damage to oyster farms after a harmful algae bloom affected parts of the Chesapeake Bay’s Eastern Shore in September 2026. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission is using maps and scientific guidance from researchers to identify affected oyster-growing and restoration areas. The assessment builds on a NASA Earth Action Water Resources project designed to improve water quality forecasting through satellite observations and information from shellfish growers. Researchers from William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Batten School docu...

Rural PM2.5 pollution in Maharashtra increased between 2014 and 2023, even as urban levels fell by 5.5%, raising concerns about gaps in clean air policies. Maharashtra’s rural areas are facing worsening air pollution despite improvements in urban air quality highlighting gaps in India’s city focused clean air strategy, according to a new analysis published by India Air Quality & Energy Insights. The study authored by Manoj Kumar found that rural PM2.5 concentrations in Maharashtra rose by 4.1% between 2014 and 2023 while urban concentrations declined by 5.5% during the same period. The findings challenge the assumption that air pollution is primarily an urban problem. Across the 24 states assessed, rural areas in many regions recorded pollution levels comparable to those in citi...

Satellite imagery shows Cyclone Arnab’s sprawling cloud bands extending across India after the storm made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast. Cyclone Arnab may have weakened after making landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast but its enormous cloud shield continues to influence weather conditions across large parts of India. Satellite images have captured the storm’s vast cloud bands stretching across the subcontinent. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the deep depression left behind by Cyclone Arnab weakened into a depression as it moved nearly northwards at around 22 kmph over the six hours preceding the update. At 5:30 am IST on October 29 the system was centred over south Chhattisgarh and adjoining south Odisha. Despite its weakening intensity, the we...

A neglected dumping site in Philadelphia’s FDR Park has been restored into a thriving wetland creating a natural shield against flooding and a habitat for native wildlife. A former illegal dumping ground in Philadelphia has been transformed into a thriving tidal wetland offering a major boost to urban biodiversity and flood management. By 2026, the restoration project at Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park had revived 33 acres of neglected land with 7,000 native trees planted alongside thousands of shrubs and coastal grasses. The project began in 2022 in the south western corner of the 348 acre park. For decades, the area had remained largely inaccessible and was covered with illegally dumped waste, fill material and invasive plants. The restoration involved clearing the debris and cr...

Delhi’s winter action plan will tighten vehicle entry restrictions, double parking charges and require 50% of government and private office employees to work from home to curb pollution. Delhi will introduce stricter winter pollution control measures from November 1, with new restrictions on vehicles higher parking charges and work from home requirements aimed at reducing emissions across the Capital. The measures are being introduced as air quality typically deteriorates during the winter months. Data up to October 25 showed that Delhi’s average PM2.5 concentration stood at 67 this year, compared with 108 in 2025 and 147 in 2016. PM10 levels were recorded at 172, down from 217 last year and 345 in 2016. Other pollutants also showed declines. Nitrogen dioxide levels stood at 36, com...

Delhi average AQI rises to 229 from 197, ending four consecutive days of moderate air quality as pollution levels worsen across the city. Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to the poor category on Wednesday, October 28, ending a four-day spell of moderate air quality. The city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) climbed to 229 from 197 recorded on Tuesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Among Delhi’s 58 air quality monitoring stations Vivek Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 316 placing it in the very poor category. Sixteen monitoring stations reported moderate air quality, while 41 stations recorded poor air quality. According to CPCB standards an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51–100 satisfactory, 101–200 moderate, 201–300 poor, 301–400 very poor and...