Breaking News

A groundbreaking new study has uncovered a hidden dimension of plastic pollution, revealing that forests long considered pristine natural environments are increasingly contaminated by microplastics falling from the atmosphere. The research, conducted by scientists at TU Darmstadt and published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment shows that tiny plastic particles are not confined to oceans and urban spaces but are silently accumulating in forest ecosystems through airborne deposition. According to the findings, microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics are carried through the air and settle on the upper canopy of trees in what researchers describe as a “comb-out effect.” These particles cling to leaves before being transported to the forest floor by rainfall or seasonal...

    The glaciers of the Himalaya are melting at an alarming rate, with new scientific findings revealing that the region has lost ice equivalent to nearly a six-storey building over the past 50 years. The report, released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, highlights growing concerns over climate change and its impact on one of the most critical freshwater sources in the world. According to the study, glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalayan region have lost approximately 24 metres of water-equivalent ice between 1973 and 2023. This sustained loss reflects rising global temperatures and signals a long-term shift in the region’s climate system. Scientists warn that while certain areas like the Karakoram Range show relatively stable or comp...

    The world’s oceans have reached an unprecedented level of heat, signalling a deepening global climate crisis, according to the latest report released on World Meteorological Day by the World Meteorological Organization. The findings confirm that the planet’s climate system is now more imbalanced than at any point in recorded history, with the period from 2015 to 2025 officially marked as the hottest decade ever observed. At the centre of the concern is a sharp rise in ocean heat content, which reached a record high in 2025. Scientists say the oceans are absorbing around 91 per cent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, making them the primary buffer against global warming. However, this buffering role is coming at a significant cost, as ma...

    In a major scientific milestone for India’s livestock sector, the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) has successfully produced calves of the prized Sahiwal breed using advanced assisted reproductive technologies, marking a first for the institute. The achievement, announced by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), is expected to accelerate genetic improvement and conservation of indigenous cattle breeds. The breakthrough was accomplished using a combination of ultrasound-guided ovum pick-up, in vitro fertilisation, and embryo transfer collectively known as OPU–IVF–ET technology. Scientists at IVRI initiated a focused programme in 2022–23 aimed at enhancing the genetic potential of India’s native dairy breeds, including Sahiwal, Tharparkar an...

    Winter in Rajasthan is disappearing faster than ever, with rising temperatures, weak rainfall and shifting weather patterns severely disrupting agriculture and rural livelihoods, according to ground reports and scientific observations. What was once a gradual seasonal transition has now become abrupt. February and March are witnessing unusually high temperatures, with summer-like conditions arriving weeks earlier than expected. Experts say this shrinking winter window is already taking a heavy toll on crops, livestock and traditional farming cycles. Meteorological data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows that rainfall during the 2025–26 winter season remained drastically below normal, with some regions recording deficits as high as 97 percent. At ...

    China has established the world’s largest and most comprehensive water infrastructure network, now covering more than 80 percent of its land area, according to an announcement by the country’s Ministry of Water Resources on World Water Day. The vast system is designed to support water distribution, flood control, and ecological protection across the country, marking a major milestone in China’s long-term water security strategy. Officials said the network reflects a shift from reactive water management to a more proactive and strategic approach aligned with national development goals. Across rural areas, the expansion of water infrastructure has significantly improved access to clean water. Authorities reported that nearly 83,000 rural water supply projects have b...

    A new generation of satellite-based technologies and artificial intelligence is reshaping water management across Asia, offering solutions to long-standing data gaps that have limited effective policymaking and climate resilience. According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP), these innovations are enabling governments to convert fragmented and scarce water data into meaningful, actionable insights. Water data scarcity remains a critical global concern. The United Nations estimates that only about 3 percent of global water quality measurements come from the world’s poorest regions, leaving large parts of Asia and other developing areas without adequate monitoring. Even where data is available, it is often dispersed...

    Scientists have created the first global map showing how ocean tides influence rivers far inland, revealing a major but overlooked flood risk affecting millions worldwide. The research, led by Technical University of Munich, shows that tides do not stop at coastlines. Instead, they travel upstream through rivers, increasing flood risks in inland areas. The study found that over 725 million people live in regions affected by tidal river influence, with more than 175,000 kilometres of rivers impacted globally. In some cases, tidal effects extend hundreds of kilometres inland, such as in the Amazon River. This new mapping tool helps identify vulnerable regions and track how risks may shift with climate change and rising sea levels. Researchers say the data will be...

    A new scientific study is challenging the way the world measures global warming, warning that current methods may be undervaluing some of the most effective ways to slow climate change particularly efforts to cut methane emissions. Published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, the research proposes a new framework called Radiative Forcing-based Accounting (RFA), which aims to more accurately capture how different greenhouse gases affect the Earth’s temperature over time. The study has significant implications for climate policy, carbon markets, and the valuation of emissions reduction projects. For decades, global climate policy has relied on a standard unit known as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) to compare the impact of different greenhouse gases. T...

    In the drought-stricken fields of northern Iraq, farmers are rethinking centuries-old agricultural practices as climate change disrupts rainfall patterns and threatens rural livelihoods. A new initiative supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is helping communities adapt through climate-smart farming techniques, offering a lifeline to families facing growing uncertainty. In Ewaynat village in Ninewa province, farming once followed a predictable rhythm shaped by seasonal rains. Today, that rhythm has been broken. Years of drought, rising temperatures, and erratic rainfall have made harvests unreliable and farming increasingly risky. “The land had a rhythm, but now that rhythm feels broken,” said Mohammed, a local farmer who has witnessed th...