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Madrid: For decades eucalyptus plantations were celebrated as an economic success story in north west Spain. Fast growing and highly profitable the Australian tree species helped fuel the paper and timber industries while transforming vast areas of Galicia's landscape. However scientists now warn that this green expansion has come at a significant ecological cost. New research shows that the rapid spread of eucalyptus plantations is contributing to the decline of native bird populations and weakening the region biodiversity. While the landscape may still appear lush and green experts say the ecological functions of these forests are very different from those of native woodlands. Eucalyptus trees were introduced to the Iberian Peninsula in the 19th century, but their large scale expan...

New Delhi: The loud siren suddenly rings. Phones vibrate across offices, homes, classrooms, and public spaces. For a brief moment, many people fear a major emergency. Then they read the notification. Thunderstorm warning. Heavy rain expected. Strong winds likely. Over the past few weeks millions of residents across Delhi NCR have received repeated emergency weather alerts on their mobile phones. While the technology behind these warnings is being praised as a major step forward in India's disaster preparedness system, experts are raising concerns that frequent alerts could create a new problem: people may eventually stop paying attention. India's emergency alert system is powered by a network developed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Department o...

A major international climate study has found that Earth is heating at an accelerating pace with human caused global warming reaching 1.37°C above pre industrial levels in 2025. Scientists warn that if current trends continue, the world could exceed the critical 1.5°C warming threshold in just four years. The findings come from the latest Indicators of Global Climate Change (IGCC) report, published in the journal Earth System Science Data. More than 70 climate scientists from 56 institutions across 17 countries contributed to the assessment. Researchers say the most worrying signal is the growing imbalance in Earth energy system. This indicator measures how much extra heat the planet is absorbing compared to how much it releases back into space. According to the report Earth energ...

Open Source Climate Platform Now Supports 42 Countries and Has Boosted Public Warning Issuance by 3,000%. A digital platform helping African countries improve weather forecasting and disaster warnings has been shortlisted for the prestigious United Nations 2.0 Innovation Award. Known as ClimWeb the platform was developed through a partnership between the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and NORCAP a programme of the Norwegian Refugee Council. It was selected as a finalist from more than 200 submissions received from across the United Nations system. The award recognises innovative solutions that create meaningful impact through new approaches and technologies. ClimWeb was created to solve a major challenge facing meteorological agencies across Africa. Until recently, many n...

A new study by researchers at Stanford University has found that expanding the use of prescribed fires in California's conifer forests could significantly reduce harmful wildfire smoke pollution over the long term. According to the research published in the journal Science treating around 500,000 acres of forest annually with controlled burns could lower dangerous smoke pollution by approximately 10% over a decade and by as much as 20–25% during the state's worst wildfire years. The findings come as California continues to battle increasingly severe wildfire seasons fueled by climate change prolonged droughts and decades of fire suppression policies. Researchers Ivan Higuera Mendieta and Marshall Burke analyzed two decades of wildfire and smoke data and discovered that low severity fire...

The Union government ambitious tourism expansion plans in the Himalayas have triggered a debate over environmental sustainability after an opinion piece criticized trekking tourism for its impact on mountain ecosystems. The discussion comes as authorities prepare to invest heavily in adventure tourism while scientists continue to warn about the increasing vulnerability of the Himalayan region to climate change and human activity. The criticism follows a budget announcement that earmarked ₹2,500 crore for tourism development including the creation of new trekking routes and the training of 10,000 guides. While the initiative aims to boost local employment and attract more visitors critics argue that unchecked trekking activities could worsen environmental degradation in already fragile m...

India southwest monsoon has entered a worrying phase after a dramatic slowdown in rainfall activity during June, triggering concerns over agriculture, water availability, food prices and economic growth. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the country received only 19.2 mm of rainfall between June 4 and June 15 against the normal 53.7 mm, resulting in a massive 64 percent rainfall deficit. Satellite images from INSAT-3DS reveal unusually clear skies over large parts of peninsular, central and eastern India, where thick monsoon cloud bands are normally seen at this time of year. Although the monsoon has officially advanced into several regions, including parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and central India, rainfall activity has remained signif...

  India's battle against air pollution is entering a new phase as ground level ozone pollution increasingly threatens public health during summer months. Traditionally, winter has been considered the most dangerous season for air quality due to the accumulation of particulate matter caused by stagnant weather conditions. However, experts now warn that the seasonal relief usually experienced during summer is fading as rising temperatures and intense sunlight fuel the formation of ozone pollution across major cities. According to the latest State of Global Air 2025 report, India ranks third globally in exposure to ozone pollution. The report estimates that long term exposure to ground level ozone contributed to around 470,000 deaths worldwide in 2023, with nearly half of those dea...

The 2026 FIFA World Cup could become one of the hottest tournaments in football history, with climate experts warning that rising temperatures may pose serious health risks for players officials and spectators across the United States, Canada and Mexico. A recent analysis highlighted growing concerns over extreme heat during the tournament, particularly in several host cities where daytime temperatures have increased significantly over recent decades. The warning comes after multiple heat related incidents during recent football competitions held in North America. One of the most notable incidents occurred during the 2025 Club World Cup semifinal at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey where Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernández reportedly suffered heat exhaustion while playing in temperature...

India's major reservoirs are holding just 28.28 per cent of their total live storage capacity, making the progress of the southwest monsoon critical for irrigation drinking water supply and hydropower generation in the coming weeks. According to the latest data released by the Central Water Commission (CWC), the country's 166 monitored reservoirs contained 51.92 billion cubic metres of water as of June 11, 2026, compared to their total live storage capacity of 183.56 billion cubic metres. While the overall storage level is 15.8 per cent higher than the long term average for this time of year, it remains 8.17 per cent lower than the 56.53 billion cubic metres recorded during the same period in 2025. The uneven distribution of water across different regions is emerging as a major concern,...