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    Dry desert winds flowing from the west and northwest of India may hold the key to predicting monsoon break periods, potentially giving farmers valuable time to prepare for rainfall deficits, according to a new study. Published on February 10, 2026, in the Journal of Climate, the research analysed data spanning more than eight decades and found a strong link between dry air intrusions and pauses in the Southwest Monsoon. The Southwest Monsoon accounts for more than 75% of India’s annual rainfall between June and September. However, it is marked by intermittent “break” periods days or weeks when rainfall significantly decreases across much of the country, while increasing in the Himalayan foothills and parts of the Northeast. These breaks can severely affect agricul...

    As climate risks intensify across the Eastern Himalayas, large hydropower projects once championed as clean energy solutions are increasingly being questioned for amplifying environmental and social vulnerabilities. A recent commentary by Sharon Sarah Thawaney argues that the rapid expansion of hydropower in the region may be locking fragile mountain systems into long-term maladaptation a term used to describe climate responses that ultimately increase risk rather than reduce it. Teesta Flood Exposed Structural Vulnerabilities The debate gained urgency following the devastating 2023 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) from South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim. The flood unleashed an estimated 50 million cubic metres of water, striking the Teesta Stage III dam at Ch...

    Despite receiving some of the highest rainfall in Maharashtra’s Pune district, Gunjavne village in the Western Ghats has long struggled with water scarcity. The paradox abundance during monsoon and tanker dependence by summer has pushed residents to rethink how they manage rainwater runoff in the hilly terrain. Located in Velhe taluka, officially renamed Rajgad, the region records over 2,500 mm of annual rainfall. Yet by February, many of its 129 villages historically relied on private water tankers. The problem is not inadequate rain, but the region’s steep, undulating landscape and hard basalt geology, which allow water to rapidly run off slopes before it can percolate into the ground. At the foothills of Rajgad Fort in the Sahyadri range, Gunjavne’s sarpanch La...

    Forests are widely praised for their ability to capture carbon dioxide, absorbing an estimated 7.6 billion tonnes of CO₂ each year. However, scientists say the world’s oceans surpass forests as the planet’s largest carbon sink, taking in roughly 30% of global carbon emissions annually. While forests store carbon in trees, plants and soils through photosynthesis, the ocean operates on a far larger scale. Marine plants such as phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, while tiny crustaceans like krill help transport it deeper into the ocean. When marine organisms die, their bodies sink to the seabed, effectively locking carbon away for centuries. Coastal ecosystems including mangroves, seagrass meadows and salt marshes are often referred to as “blue c...

    In the stark, wind-scoured expanse of Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, survival has always depended on adaptation. At elevations ranging from 3,600 to over 6,700 metres, winters plunge to minus 40 degrees Celsius, prey is scarce, and oxygen levels are thin. Yet even in one of the harshest environments on Earth, change is accelerating not from climate alone, but from growing human presence. A new study in Spiti’s Trans-Himalayan ecosystem reveals how snow leopards, Himalayan wolves, red foxes, and free-ranging dogs are adjusting their behaviour to share space. Rather than dividing territory neatly, these carnivores are constantly shifting where and when they move, hunt, and rest to avoid confrontation. But scientists warn this delicate balance may not hold if human p...

    The 2025 summer monsoon has gone down as one of the deadliest in recent South Asian history, with exceptional rainfall triggering a devastating wave of landslides and floods across India and Pakistan. According to a new study published in the journal Landslides more than 2,500 people lost their lives as extreme rainfall overwhelmed fragile mountain landscapes and exposed deep-rooted vulnerabilities across the region. Across India, 1,528 fatalities were recorded due to floods and landslides, while Pakistan reported 1,006 deaths. The scale of destruction has prompted scientists to examine not just the intensity of rainfall, but the structural and environmental factors that amplified the disaster. Rainfall Far Above Average Triggered Chain of Disasters The 2025 mo...

Plastic pollution is no longer just a waste management issue it is becoming a climate-driven environmental crisis. A new global review published in Frontiers in Science finds that climate change is reshaping how plastics behave in the environment, making them more mobile, persistent and harmful across ecosystems. The study, highlighted by the World Economic Forum brings together mounting evidence that rising temperatures, extreme weather events and shifting Earth systems are transforming plastic pollution into a dynamic, climate-sensitive threat. Most plastics are produced from fossil fuels such as oil and gas, generating greenhouse gas emissions throughout their lifecycle from extraction and manufacturing to transport and disposal. As plastic production has surged since the mid-20th...

    A new global study has revealed a startling twist in the climate crisis narrative: while most glaciers worldwide are shrinking at unprecedented rates, a small but powerful fraction is suddenly surging forward. Scientists warn that these dramatic advances are not signs of recovery, but signals of instability that could intensify flood risks, disrupt infrastructure and endanger vulnerable mountain communities. From the Arctic to High Mountain Asia, researchers have identified more than 3,000 glaciers that have experienced sudden bursts of acceleration. Though they represent only about one percent of the world’s glaciers, these massive bodies of ice account for roughly 16 percent of global glacier area making their behaviour highly significant in understanding future cl...

    A rare sighting of the vividly coloured Himalayan monal has captivated wildlife enthusiasts after a male bird was photographed soaring over Bhutan’s mountain valleys, displaying its dazzling, multi-hued plumage in full sunlight. Often described as the “jewel of the Himalayas,” the high-altitude pheasant shimmered mid-flight with flashes of blue, green, purple, copper, gold and orange colours that appeared to shift as it moved through the air. Experts confirm that the Himalayan monal’s dramatic appearance is entirely natural. The bird’s iridescent glow is produced not by pigmentation alone, but by microscopic structures within its feathers that refract and bend light. This structural coloration creates metallic tones that change depending on the viewing angle. E...

    Two major new studies are raising fresh concerns about the long-term health consequences of wildfire smoke, identifying a significant association between prenatal exposure to smoke and an increased likelihood of autism diagnoses in young children. The findings add to growing evidence that wildfire pollution may have deeper and more lasting neurological effects than previously understood. The research, published in the peer-reviewed journals Environmental Science and Technology and Environment International, analyzed millions of birth records in California and found that exposure to wildfire smoke particularly during late pregnancy was linked to higher rates of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses in children. Third Trimester Exposure Shows Strongest Association T...