Breaking News

  Damascus, July 20: The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has donated three tracked hydraulic excavators to Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management to strengthen the country disaster preparedness, humanitarian response and post disaster recovery efforts. The handover took place during a ceremony at the ministry’s headquarters in Damascus, attended by Deputy Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Dr Ahmed Qazziz, Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Resident Representative in Syria Ghadfan Ajjoub, and AKF Syria Executive Director Dr Muhannad Obeido. Under a memorandum signed by both organisations, the ministry will receive ownership of the excavators, which are equipped with fuel efficient technology and electronic safety systems. The machinery will be deployed fo...

  New Delhi: The United Nations has called for reforms in the way climate negotiations are conducted at the annual Conference of the Parties (COP), with UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Simon Stiell saying wider consultations with member countries are needed to strengthen the process. Addressing the media during an official visit to New Delhi on July 21, Stiell said discussions on reforming COP negotiations have gained momentum three decades after the Convention was established. “There has been significant commentary on what reforms could look like. Wider consultation with Parties is needed, and several countries have already shared views on how the process can be strengthened and evolve,” he said. Stiell's remarks come amid growing ca...

  New Delhi, July 22: Rising exports of wood pellets from Indonesia to Japan and South Korea are accelerating tropical deforestation and threatening Indigenous communities and biodiversity, according to a new report by Earth Insight Indonesian environmental organisation Auriga Nusantara and Indigenous group AMAN. The spatial analysis found that expanding wood pellet and wood chip supply chains are driving forest loss across Indonesia, particularly in Gorontalo province on Sulawesi Island, the country's main wood pellet export hub. Japan accounted for nearly 75 per cent of Indonesia's wood pellet exports in 2025, according to Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry. The report found that biomass haul zones linked to the industry overlap with 347 Indigenous territories...

  Gangtok, July 22: At least 12 workers have died after a section of the under construction Head Race Tunnel (HRT) at the NHPC Teesta Stage-VI Hydroelectric Project collapsed in Sikkim's Namchi district, while rescue operations continue at the site. According to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), the incident occurred at around 1:04 pm on July 20 at Samardung when a suspected methane gas pocket trapped inside the rock strata suddenly burst, triggering an explosion that filled the tunnel with dense fumes and toxic gases. A total of 25 personnel were inside the tunnel at the time of the accident. Officials said 12 casualties have been confirmed so far, while efforts are underway to evacuate and rescue the remaining trapped workers. NHPC said it has launched...

  July 22: Climate resilience in Asia requires more than expanding insurance coverage, with governments needing to integrate disaster risk reduction, financial protection and fiscal planning to better manage growing climate related disasters, according to a new analysis by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). The report notes that floods typhoons, droughts and heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe across Asia, causing rising economic losses, infrastructure damage, supply chain disruptions and mounting fiscal pressure on governments. ADBI argues that disaster risk financing should move beyond a sole focus on post disaster funding and insurance. Instead, it recommends a three layered approach comprising investments in climate adaptation and resilience to reduc...

  July 22: More than 900 wildfires burning across Canada have forced thousands of people to flee, with Indigenous First Nations communities among the hardest hit as fast moving fires destroy homes and critical infrastructure. According to reports 903 wildfires were active across the country as of July 17, including 750 classified as out of control, while 43 new fires had ignited within the previous 24 hours. The Namaygoosisagagun (Collins) First Nation in northern Ontario suffered extensive devastation after a rapidly advancing wildfire swept through the community in less than an hour. Residents reportedly had only minutes to evacuate, with many escaping by boat as flames engulfed homes and community buildings. Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige said al...

  Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, one of India's most forested regions and part of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, is witnessing increasing pressure from hydropower, pumped storage, nuclear expansion, ports and river diversion projects. The report highlights concerns over the proposed Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project, which is planned in the forest landscape surrounding the Gerusoppa Dam. The area now falls within the Sharavathi Valley Lion Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary and its eco sensitive zone, raising legal and ecological questions over the project's location. Uttara Kannada has nearly 80 per cent forest cover and is home to rich biodiversity, including tigers, leopards, lion-tailed macaques and great hornbills. The district also contains protected area...

  More frequent droughts and intense rainfall driven by climate change are increasing pressure on global water resources prompting experts to promote groundwater storage as a sustainable solution for managing both water scarcity and flooding according to a report by Deutsche Welle. Groundwater, which supplies nearly half of the world's drinking water is being depleted at an alarming rate as extraction has tripled over the past five decades. Researchers estimate that more than two billion people and around 40 per cent of global agricultural production now depend on overexploited groundwater reserves. The report highlights that prolonged droughts, combined with rapid urbanisation and increasing paved surfaces are reducing the amount of rainwater that naturally infiltrates the s...

  Climate change is increasingly affecting religious tourism, cultural heritage and local livelihoods in the Himalayas, with rising temperatures and extreme weather disrupting some of the region's oldest pilgrimage routes. The report highlights that the sacred ice formation inside the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir has shrunk rapidly for the third consecutive year reducing from around seven feet to nearly one foot within five days during this year's pilgrimage. Researchers attribute the trend to below normal snowfall, rising temperatures and increasing human activity inside the cave during the annual Amarnath Yatra. According to the analysis, the Amarnath Yatra has witnessed growing pilgrim numbers despite mounting ecological stress. During peak days, around 13,000...

  New Zealand proposed overhaul of its conservation laws has triggered debate over environmental protection, economic development and Indigenous rights, with critics urging the government to adopt a more inclusive approach to conservation according to an analysis. The debate follows the government's decision to withdraw a controversial proposal in the Conservation Amendment Bill that would have allowed more conservation land to be sold after facing opposition from environmental organisations and outdoor recreation groups. However, the proposed reforms continue to include provisions that would require the Department of Conservation (DOC) to recognise and promote economic opportunities arising from the use and development of conservation land. The reforms would also reduce the ...