Breaking News Archives - Page 2 of 73

Feb202025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Gwadar School Tsunami Drill Teaches Life-Saving Skills, Inspires Community Preparedness

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Gwadar, Pakistan – The usual morning buzz at Government Girls High School Gwadar and Government Boys High School Gwadar Jadeed took on a new urgency as a loud siren pierced the air. On World Tsunami Awareness Day, over 300 students took part in a life-saving exercise a tsunami evacuation drill organized by UNESCO and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Balochistan. The drill aimed to prepare students for the rapid response needed during a tsunami. Eight-year-old Ayesha, clutching her backpack tightly, shared her newfound confidence: “I learned how to run to higher ground and help my friends. Now, I know what to do if there’s a tsunami.” Pakistan’s coastline, especially along the Makran Subduction Zone in the Arabian Sea, is highly vulnerable to tsunamis. The 1945 Makr...

Feb202025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Burundi Faces Rising Challenges as Climate Disasters Magnify Vulnerabilities

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Fact Check

In April 2024, torrential rains in southwestern Burundi triggered a devastating landslide in Gabaniro village, Rumonge province. Nearly 500 homes were flattened, one child was killed, and 2,500 residents were left homeless. Alongside the tragic loss of life, 500 hectares of cropland were destroyed, threatening livelihoods in one of the country’s most vulnerable regions. Survivors are struggling to recover from the disaster. Evangélique Hatungimana, a resident of Gabaniro, recalled the terror of the event. "We have been living in constant fear since witnessing something we never thought possible," she told Dialogue Earth. In nearby Mubone, Christine Tuyisenge’s home now bears deep cracks from the flooding. "When it rains, I take my children and leave the house for fear it will be swept a...

Feb202025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Goma Dual Crisis M23 Rebel Group Takeover & Mount Nyiragongo Threat

Breaking News, Disasters, Environment

In January 2025, the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) fell under the control of the M23 rebel group. This marked a deadly escalation in a decades-long conflict that has led to mass displacement and numerous deaths. Goma, home to two million people, faces a compounded risk. Just 12 miles from the city lies Mount Nyiragongo, one of the world’s most dangerous active volcanoes. The volcano’s lava flows can reach speeds of over 60 miles per hour faster than a person can run. During its 2021 eruption, thousands were displaced and at least 250 people lost their lives. An earlier eruption in 2002 left 13% of Goma buried in lava. The DRC exemplifies the dangers faced by fragile, conflict-affected regions when natural disasters strike. Climate change further intensifies v...

Feb192025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Guillain-Barre Syndrome Claims Two Lives in Andhra Pradesh, Sparks Health Alert

Breaking News, Disasters, Environment

In Andhra Pradesh, health authorities have sounded the alarm after two deaths from Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) were reported. Dr. Sivananda, Superintendent of King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam, described GBS as a rare, non-contagious post-viral condition that can cause paralysis and autoimmune disorders. He noted that GBS affects only two out of every two lakh people. Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav confirmed the deaths occurred in Guntur and Srikakulam districts. While acknowledging the syndrome’s 5-7% global mortality rate, Yadav reassured the public that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has directed comprehensive response measures. He urged people to remain calm and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms appear. The state’s first GBS-related death was recorded at Gun...

Feb182025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Sargasso Sea: Earth’s Only Sea Without Shores Faces Climate Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

The Sargasso Sea, located in the North Atlantic Ocean, is the only sea in the world that doesn’t touch any land. It is defined by four ocean currents the North Atlantic Current, Canary Current, North Atlantic Equatorial Current, and Antilles Current forming a natural boundary rather than a coastline. Instead of sandy shores, the sea is blanketed by large mats of Sargassum seaweed, giving it a distinctive appearance. This seaweed has been washing up on the shores of North America and the Caribbean, but out in the open sea, it serves as a haven for marine life. The Sargasso Sea Commission highlights the region’s ecological importance, noting it provides breeding grounds for endangered eels and migratory paths for species like sperm and humpback whales, tuna, and turtles. Historically a...

Feb182025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Environmental Groups Urge IMO to Ditch Biofuels, Warn of Deforestation Risks

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Environmental organizations are pressing the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reject biofuels as a low-carbon option for the shipping industry, arguing that their expanded use could worsen deforestation, land grabbing, and climate change. Biofuelwatch and the Global Forest Coalition (GFC), along with 65 other groups, submitted an open letter ahead of the IMO’s upcoming discussions on low-carbon fuel standards. The letter warned that biofuel expansion, particularly in the Global South, poses significant environmental and social threats. It also called for stricter sustainability criteria to prevent the negative impacts of biofuel production. Brazil, the world’s second-largest biofuel producer, has emerged as a vocal supporter of biofuels in the shipping sector. The country...

Feb182025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Climate Change Fuels Insurance Crisis as Extreme Weather Becomes New Normal

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

The insurance industry is facing unprecedented challenges as climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Traditionally, insurers relied on probability to assess risks and set premiums. However, with disasters like storms, floods, wildfires, and hurricanes becoming almost annual occurrences, the business model is under severe strain. Rising claims have led to skyrocketing premiums, making insurance unaffordable for many and forcing insurers out of high-risk markets. California’s ongoing wildfire crisis is a stark example of this trend. Wildfires that erupted in Los Angeles County in January 2025 burned over 23,000 hectares, killed 29 people, destroyed 16,000 structures, and displaced thousands. Typically, the region’s wildfire season occurs from June ...

Feb182025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Kenya Faces Food Insecurity Risks After USAid Famine Warning Network Shutdown

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Kenya’s food security is under threat following the shutdown of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net) on January 30, 2025. For 40 years, this USAid-funded platform provided crucial data to predict and track food insecurity across nearly 30 countries in Africa, Central America, and Asia. Its abrupt closure has left a significant void in Kenya’s ability to anticipate and respond to food crises. Fews Net played a vital role in Kenya’s food security planning by collaborating with the National Drought Management Agency and the Kenya Food Security Steering Group. The platform offered forecasts for crop production, food insecurity assessments, and climate and conflict-based predictions for potential crises. These reports helped Kenya’s government and international partners priori...

Feb182025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Global Temperature Crosses 1.5°C Threshold in 2024, Marking New Climate Era

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

The average global temperature anomaly in 2024 surpassed the critical 1.5°C threshold for the first time, signaling a significant milestone in the planet’s ongoing warming trend. This development, highlighted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), marks a clear step into a phase of sustained global warming. The 1.5°C limit, a target established under the 2015 Paris Agreement, aimed to prevent the worst impacts of climate change by keeping global temperature rise below this level compared to pre-industrial times (1850-1900). However, the WMO confirmed that the annual average global temperature in 2024 was 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, based on six independent datasets. The European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) added that 18 of the last 19 months ...

Feb172025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Delhi-NCR Jolted by 4.0 Magnitude Earthquake Residents Evacuate High-Rises

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

In the early hours of Monday, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake shook Delhi-NCR, sending residents into a state of alarm. The National Center for Seismology confirmed the earthquake struck at 5:36 am, with its epicenter located near Durgabai Deshmukh College of Special Education in Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi, at a shallow depth of five kilometers. The tremors were felt across Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad, prompting residents of high-rise buildings to evacuate as a precaution. The region has a history of small tremors, with a similar 3.3 magnitude quake recorded in 2015. Local leaders quickly responded to the situation. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi and the Delhi Police used social media to urge residents to remain calm and prioritize safety. Authorities assured that emergenc...