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In a troubling revelation Byrnihat a small industrial town on the Assam-Meghalaya border, has been declared the world’s most polluted city in 2024 by Swiss air monitoring agency IQAir. Once a sleepy outpost, Byrnihat has rapidly transformed into a major industrial and logistics hub but this economic surge has come at a severe environmental and health cost. According to IQAir, Byrnihat recorded an average PM2.5 level of 128.2 micrograms per cubic meter last year over 25 times the World Health Organization’s safe limit. The town surpassed even Delhi, long known for its dangerous air quality, and now wears the unfortunate crown of global pollution capital. A Town Choking on Progress Over the past three decades, Byrnihat proximity to the coal-rich hills of Meghalaya and the urban center...

Global climate finance reached a record high of $1.9 trillion in 2023, marking a 15% increase from the previous year, according to the latest Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2025 report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI). While this surge signals growing urgency around climate action, the report warns that major gaps and systemic risks continue to threaten progress. Between 2018 and 2023, climate finance grew at an annual rate of 19%, with a sharper increase of 26% seen from 2021 to 2023. However, even at this pace, global investment is still far below the $6.3 trillion needed annually from 2024 to 2030 to limit the most severe impacts of climate change. The majority of climate finance in 2023 about 94% or $1.78 trillion was directed towards mitigation efforts. Energy systems...

A worrying surge in glacial-origin floods is being observed across the Hindu Kush Himalayas, according to new findings from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). Scientists say that events known as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) sudden releases of water from lakes formed by melting glaciers are becoming alarmingly frequent in the region. Once rare, such events are now escalating fast. In the early 2000s, GLOFs in the region were expected once every five to ten years. Yet in just the last two months May and June 2025 ICIMOD has documented three: in Nepal’s Limi Valley, Afghanistan’s Andorab Valley, and Pakistan’s Chitral and Hunza regions. “The acceleration of these types of events is completely unprecedented in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. W...

As wildfires rage more frequently across the western United States, the fallout from earlier disasters in Los Angeles reveals a deeper crisis: the growing tendency to privatise climate risks is leaving many victims without reliable protection. In the aftermath of destructive fires in early 2025, affected residents are now mired in bureaucratic confusion, stuck between insurance firms, federal agencies, and state offices with little clarity or support. This breakdown isn’t just administrative. As Prakash Kashwan argues in a recent analysis, it reflects a broader failure to redefine the relationship between private capital and public responsibility in an era of escalating climate disasters. A fragile system under strain Wildfires, floods, and hurricanes are now redrawing the boundarie...

  The Financial Stability Board (FSB) a powerful global regulator overseeing financial systems, is facing internal discord just weeks ahead of presenting its climate progress report to the G20. The tension stems from widening disagreements among member central banks and finance ministries over how climate change should be integrated into financial stability frameworks. As devastating floods in Texas highlight the rising cost of climate-related disasters, the FSB finds itself caught in a storm of its own. The organization has been forced to revise parts of its climate objectives report after member nations raised concerns about the scope and urgency of its recommendations. These revisions expose a growing divide on whether and how aggressively financial policy should confront cli...

A powerful economic opportunity is emerging at the intersection of artificial intelligence and climate resilience in the Middle East. According to a new report by PwC, the region could unlock a staggering $232 billion in additional GDP by 2035 if countries act decisively to integrate AI and accelerate environmental reforms. Currently valued at $3.57 trillion, the Middle East’s GDP could surge to $4.68 trillion over the next decade with bold moves on digital transformation and sustainability. Countries like Saudi Arabia are already charting this path, making major investments in AI research and climate-friendly initiatives. In fact, Saudi Arabia now ranks 15th globally in AI research output, with more than 29,000 published works. One of the region most ambitious tech investments is Pr...

In a dramatic policy shift President Donald Trump newly passed budget bill is raising alarm bells across environmental and clean energy circles. Signed just in time for the July 4 holiday the legislation rolls back several key provisions aimed at supporting America climate goals potentially setting back years of progress in renewable energy and emissions reduction. The sweeping bill, which narrowly passed through Congress, prioritizes tax extensions, immigration enforcement funding, and steep cuts to public welfare programs. But its most consequential impacts may lie in the quiet dismantling of green energy incentives. Key provisions of former President Joe Biden Inflation Reduction Act, including tax breaks for electric vehicles, energy-efficient homes, and clean energy manufacturing, ...

A surprising and troubling shift is occurring in the Southern Ocean: surface waters around Antarctica are becoming saltier not fresher despite the rapid melting of sea ice. This revelation, captured through data from the European Space Agency’s SMOS satellite, challenges long-held assumptions about polar climate dynamics. For decades, scientists believed melting sea ice would dilute the surrounding ocean, making it less salty. But since 2015, as Antarctica has lost a sea ice area nearly the size of Greenland, the surface salinity has unexpectedly risen. This salinization is more than just an anomaly; it signals a deeper disruption in the Southern Ocean's delicate balance. The increase in salinity may be due to complex feedback mechanisms, such as changes in precipitation, ocean mixin...

In a significant move to tackle the worsening air pollution crisis the Delhi government has officially announced that starting November 1, 2025, fuel will no longer be provided to overage vehicles across Delhi and parts of the National Capital Region (NCR). The ban targets petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles over 10 years aligning with long-standing environmental norms but marking a renewed push for strict implementation. According to the fresh directive issued on Monday, this fuel restriction will extend beyond Delhi to include five key NCR districts, although the specific districts were not named in the initial announcement. The step is seen as part of Delhi's broader action plan to reduce vehicular emissions, a major contributor to the region’s hazardous air quali...

In a historic response to climate change nearly one-third of Tuvalu citizens have applied for Australia new climate change visa programme as rising sea levels threaten to engulf the tiny Pacific nation. With just over 10,600 residents Tuvalu is one of the world most vulnerable countries to climate-induced displacement. Australia groundbreaking climate migration deal, known as the Falepili Union, allows 280 Tuvaluan citizens each year to relocate to Australia. Within four days of the visa ballot opening 3,125 Tuvaluans had already applied almost 30 percent of the island nation population, underscoring the urgency of the situation. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said the programme offers “mobility with dignity”, acknowledging the devastating toll of climate change across the...