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Madurai, October 13 – The forest department is preparing a proposal to designate the Samanatham tank, a key ecological hotspot and important habitat for waterfowl, under the Ramsar Convention. The proposal is expected to be submitted soon to the State Wetland Authority for review, according to a senior forest official. Environmental activists have raised concerns about rising pollution levels and the loss of green cover near the tank, which attracts thousands of migratory birds each winter. Located on the outskirts of Madurai, the waterbody remains a vital stopover for several species of waterbirds. N Raveendran a noted environmentalist and bird researcher from Madurai, said the tank witnessed a healthy duck population during this migratory season. However, he emphasized the need for...

New research from Australia has confirmed a direct and alarming link between deforestation and large-scale flooding, showing that removing forest cover can increase the likelihood of major floods by as much as 700%. The findings, based on decades of data from regions repeatedly hit by forest fires, mark one of the clearest proofs yet that forest loss directly amplifies flood hazards. The study, led by Professor Ashish Sharma from UNSW Sydney, analysed flood records and streamflow data from southeastern Australia over the past 50 years. Researchers compared periods before and after three major forest fires in 2003, 2007, and 2009, while carefully excluding years influenced by extreme rainfall events or climate patterns like El Niño and La Niña. Their results revealed that the chance of a...

A silent epidemic is spreading across India rural heartlands one that links rising heat, extreme working conditions, and failing kidneys. Chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) is claiming lives and livelihoods, particularly among outdoor laborers who toil for hours in blistering temperatures without adequate water, shade, or rest. Arumugam, a 64-year-old salt pan worker from Tamil Nadu’s Villipakam village, spends four hours twice a week on dialysis after his kidneys failed six years ago. Like many in his village, he began working in salt pans as a teenager, enduring heat that often crossed 40°C with little water or rest. The long exposure to heat and dehydration has taken its toll, leaving him weak and heavily indebted from his treatment costs. Across India, similar storie...

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), cholera continues to be a recurring and deadly threat. However, a new approach supported by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is showing that with timely intervention, outbreaks can be contained before they spiral out of control. Over the past three years, this innovative method has proven both lifesaving and cost-effective. In 2025, CERF released $750,000 twice in March and again in May to respond to rising cholera cases in the provinces of North Kivu, Maniema, and Tshopo. This builds on a 2023 pilot that provided $1.5 million to combat increasing cases in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tanganyika. The initiative reached over 450,000 people with clean water, rapid treatment, and health services, saving lives and preventing widespr...

At least 15 people have died after debris from a massive landslide hit a bus in Himachal Pradesh Bilaspur district late on Thursday. The tragedy occurred after days of relentless rainfall weakened the region’s hilly terrain, triggering the deadly slide. Authorities said the bus was travelling along a steep mountain road when it was struck by falling debris. Around 20 to 25 passengers were on board at the time. Police confirmed that nine men, four women, and two children were among the victims. Three injured children were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital, according to a statement from Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s office. Rescue operations continued through Friday as emergency teams searched for more passengers feared trapped beneath the debris. Visuals from the sit...

New satellite observations have unveiled the immense reach and power of recent ocean storms, with record swells traveling 24,000 kilometers from the North Pacific to the Atlantic between late December 2024 and early January 2025. Led by Fabrice Ardhuin from France’s Laboratory of Physical and Spatial Oceanography, the research team combined high-resolution data from the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission with decades of information from the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Sea State project. This collaboration integrated insights from multiple satellites, including SARAL, Jason-3, Copernicus Sentinel-3A and 3B, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, CryoSat, and CFOSAT. The findings highlight key wave characteristics such as the wave period the time between crests which revea...

In a landmark ruling to curb unchecked deforestation the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed that no trees whether on private or government land can be cut without prior approval from divisional forest officers (DFOs). The order, issued by a bench of Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Afroz Ahmad, applies to all non-forest areas across Haryana, including land owned by individuals, municipal bodies, public institutions, or companies. The tribunal decision came while hearing a plea filed by Sukhbir Singh from Rohtak, who objected to the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) cutting nearly 1,000 trees for development projects in Sector 6, Rohtak. Recognising the absence of a proper legal framework to regulate tree felling outside forest zones, the bench said the situati...

For the first time, more than 900 lawmakers from across the world have come together to push for a fossil-free Amazon, presenting coordinated national proposals in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. The move marks a powerful call to halt oil and gas expansion in one of Earth’s most critical ecosystems ahead of COP30 in Brazil. The initiative, led by the network Parliamentarians for a Fossil-Free Future, released its findings at Brazil’s National Congress in Brasília on October 7. The report links fossil fuel extraction in the Amazon to deforestation, pollution, ecosystem damage, and violence against Indigenous and local communities. Lawmakers are urging for a “no-expansion zone” to protect the rainforest, which scientists warn is nearing an irreversible tipping point. Curr...

Launched in 2007 Africa Great Green Wall was envisioned as a massive 6,000-kilometre band of trees stretching across the Sahel from Senegal in the west to Djibouti and Ethiopia in the east. The African Union goal was to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, halt the Sahara southward spread and help tackle poverty and climate change. But nearly two decades later, progress remains thin on the ground. Senegal, one of the most active participants, set a target of restoring over 817,000 hectares. Yet a new study by environmental researchers Annah Lake Zhu and Amadou Ndiaye found that out of 36 areas studied via satellite, only one showed significant greening beyond what would have occurred naturally. The project, originally imagined as a literal wall of trees, now functions as a “mo...

Launched in 2007 Africa Great Green Wall was envisioned as a massive 6,000-kilometre band of trees stretching across the Sahel from Senegal in the west to Djibouti and Ethiopia in the east. The African Union goal was to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, halt the Sahara southward spread and help tackle poverty and climate change. But nearly two decades later, progress remains thin on the ground. Senegal, one of the most active participants, set a target of restoring over 817,000 hectares. Yet a new study by environmental researchers Annah Lake Zhu and Amadou Ndiaye found that out of 36 areas studied via satellite, only one showed significant greening beyond what would have occurred naturally. The project, originally imagined as a literal wall of trees, now functions as a “mo...