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As India prepares to roll out the next phase of its National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) experts warn that without decisive industrial reforms, cities will continue to choke on polluted air. A recent commentary by Anirban Banerjee, a senior associate at the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), calls for a targeted strategy to reduce emissions from both formal and informal industries. Nearly 37% of India most polluted cities are clustered around industrial zones thermal power plants, smelters, brick kilns, and small-scale manufacturing units. In over 20% of these cities, industries are the primary contributors to air pollution. Yet, just 0.6% of NCAP and Finance Commission funds are currently allocated to controlling industrial emissions. One of the biggest hurdl...

Once known as the ‘Abode of Clouds’ Meghalaya now leads the country in monsoon rainfall deficit, sparking concerns over its climate future. Meghalaya, long revered for its relentless rains and lush green landscapes, is witnessing a stunning shift. This monsoon, the state recorded the highest rainfall deficit in India a staggering 56% threatening its rain-fed agriculture, fragile biodiversity and water security. Between June 1 and July 28, the state received just 690.7 mm of rainfall against a seasonal normal of 1,555.4 mm. Surprisingly, even drier states like Jharkhand saw more rainfall during the same period, with Jharkhand recording 732.6 mm a 53% surplus. The trend isn’t just seasonal. Long-term analyses show a worrying decline in rainfall across central and northern Meghalaya, e...

As climate change fuels heavier rainfall and increases the frequency of extreme weather events, landslides have become more common, more widespread, and harder to predict. But a groundbreaking new study from Northwestern University and UCLA offers a game-changing tool in the battle to forecast and potentially prevent these destructive natural disasters. Published in Geophysical Research Letters, the study introduces a new process-based framework for landslide prediction that moves beyond traditional, rainfall-only models. The innovation? A dynamic system that simulates the full water cycle from rain and runoff to soil saturation and snowmelt and uses artificial intelligence to identify the different pathways that lead to landslides. "Current early warning systems often fail to accoun...

A sweeping new study has uncovered alarming evidence of unprecedented freshwater loss across Earth's continents since 2002, warning of dire consequences for water security, food production, and sea-level rise. Led by Arizona State University and published in Science Advances, the study analyzed over two decades of satellite data and found that global groundwater depletion is accelerating faster than previously understood pushing parts of the planet toward what researchers call a "freshwater bankruptcy." The findings identify four massive “mega-drying” zones, all in the Northern Hemisphere, where freshwater reserves have plunged due to climate change, prolonged droughts, and unsustainable groundwater use. These drying regions include the American Southwest and Central America, Alaska and...

As Canada battles another intense wildfire season, smoke is again drifting across the border, triggering health concerns across the U.S. But a major shift in air quality monitoring may soon help communities respond faster and more accurately. Scientists have developed a new satellite-based method that tracks wildfire smoke in three dimensions, offering neighborhood-level data on how close smoke is to the ground where it poses the greatest health risk. Until recently, satellites could only provide 2D snapshots of smoke plumes, without showing how high the smoke sat in the atmosphere. That was a major limitation. High-altitude smoke might look threatening in images but doesn’t always impact the air we breathe. In contrast, when smoke hugs the surface, it carries hazardous fine particles k...

In Kenya Kilifi region, extreme weather is doing more than damaging crops and homes it’s devastating mental health, especially for women. A new study reveals how rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and deepening droughts are triggering higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts among women in some of the country’s poorest households. Conducted between 2010 and 2024 across Kaloleni and Rabai sub-counties, the study involved over 14,800 women. It found that those living in slum-like, informal rural household without basics like running water and toilets were hit hardest. Compared to women in better-equipped homes, they reported a 10.8% higher rate of depressive symptoms. But the crisis runs deeper. The same group experienced a 48.3% increase in suicidal thoughts, driven by a combi...

In a controversial move, the Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed overturning the 2009 “endangerment finding” a pivotal regulation that forms the legal backbone of US climate policy. The decision has triggered widespread condemnation from environmental groups, legal experts, and former EPA chiefs. The endangerment finding, established under President Obama’s tenure, officially recognized greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide as a threat to public health. It enabled the EPA to regulate emissions from cars, factories, and power plants under the Clean Air Act. But EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin now seeks to dismantle it, calling the finding “the Holy Grail of the climate change religion” and framing the repeal as “the largest deregulatory action in US hist...

While political leaders dominate the climate discourse with bold promises and international commitments, a quieter transformation is unfolding in India’s corporate corridors. A new study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur reveals that Indian companies are quietly but steadily adapting to climate risks through operational shifts more impactful than headline-grabbing summits. Analysing data from over 1,100 publicly listed firms between 2005 and 2021, the research shows that Indian corporates are increasingly aligning themselves with the climate transition. These changes are subtle, often buried in internal strategies, but they reflect a growing awareness of environmental risks as financial risks. India has pledged to source 50% of its electricity from non...

As climate change tightens its grip on Africa farmlands bringing heatwaves, erratic rain, and degraded soils millions of smallholder farmers are battling not just environmental shocks, but deepening poverty. Yet, in the face of crisis, farmers are turning to innovative, low-cost, and eco-friendly solutions rooted in local knowledge to boost yields and restore land. From agroforestry in Ethiopia that has improved crop production by 30%, to zaï pits in Burkina Faso that reverse soil erosion, African farmers are quietly leading a grassroots climate revolution. But these efforts remain largely underfunded, under-recognized, and unsupported by global climate finance, especially from G20 nations. A new review of over 120 studies across 10 African countries including Kenya, Malawi, Ghana, a...

Once celebrated as the “Abode of Clouds” and home to the world’s wettest places like Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, Meghalaya is now grappling with a dramatic 56% rainfall deficit this monsoon season the highest among all Indian states and union territories in 2025. Between June 1 and July 28, the state received just 690.7 mm of rainfall compared to the expected 1,555.4 mm, even falling behind relatively drier regions like Jharkhand, which saw a 53% surplus. Long-term trends suggest this isn’t a temporary blip, but part of a worrying and consistent drying pattern affecting water security, biodiversity, and livelihoods across Meghalaya. A Century of Rainfall Decline Multiple scientific studies confirm that rainfall across central, western, and northern Meghalaya has been decreasing over ...