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NEW DELHI – Delhi is poised to record its first significant spell of "poor" air quality this season effectively ending the Capital's four-month-long streak of "satisfactory" or better air, according to forecasts released by the Centre Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS). EWS projections indicate that the Air Quality Index (AQI) is likely to slip into the "poor" category by Tuesday October 14, the first such instance since June 11. The outlook for the subsequent six days shows the air quality is likely to fluctuate between the "poor" and "very poor" categories a troubling forecast just ahead of the Diwali festival. Air Quality Deteriorates Marginally On Monday, the air quality already showed marginal deterioration. The 24-hour average AQI as released by the Central Pollution Con...

LONDON—Microplastics, the tiny remnants shed from everyday items like packaging and car tires, are not just polluting the oceans; they are lodged deep inside the human body in our blood, lungs, placentas, and even our brains. Scientists are now racing to understand the true impact of this pervasive contamination, with early research suggesting links to neurological changes and digestive diseases. The startling reality is that plastic is now an intimate part of our internal environment. One study cited in the report estimated the human brain alone could contain as much as five grams of microplastic, or roughly a teaspoon. Meddling with the Microbiome The latest concerns center on the gut. Dr. Christian Pacher-Deutsch of the University of Graz in Austria revealed new findings at the...

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA—The G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction concluded its meeting on October 13, the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, with a strong commitment to global resilience and the adoption of key principles for disaster investment. G20 Ministers unanimously adopted the Ministerial Declaration, “Resilience of All,” which emphatically states that resilience must be central to sustainable development, economic stability, and shared prosperity. The declaration calls for strengthened national and global action to: • Expand early warning systems. • Promote resilient infrastructure. • Scale up nature-based solutions. In a move to improve global financing for disaster readiness, the Ministers also endorsed the Voluntary High-Level Principles for In...

GENEVA/NEW YORK—The "Stop Disasters Game," a free educational tool developed by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), is cementing its position as a leading global learning resource for community resilience, with the launch of new translations bringing its total language count to eleven. The simulation game allows players to assume the role of a community planner with a limited budget and time, tasked with implementing critical infrastructure, preparedness, and protection measures against hazards like floods, earthquakes, and wildfires. By making risk-informed decisions, players learn firsthand how smart planning is the key to reducing disaster risk and saving lives. New Translations Mark Global Expansion The game's international accessibility was recently boosted wit...

The health of the planet’s forests is rapidly deteriorating, with deforestation and degradation surging worldwide, according to the Forest Declaration Assessment 2025. The report warns that countries remain far off track in achieving their pledge to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. At the halfway point of the decade meant to mark a turning point for global forest protection, deforestation rates continue to rise sharply. In 2024 alone, around 8.1 million hectares of forest were lost far exceeding the annual target of five million hectares set under international forest commitments. This figure is also three million hectares higher than the limits pledged under the New York Declaration on Forests (2014), the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration (2021), and reaffirmed in the First Global St...

A groundbreaking study has revealed that the Ganga River, long believed to be sustained by Himalayan glaciers, actually draws most of its flow from groundwater across the Gangetic Plains. The discovery reshapes scientific understanding of India holiest river and carries major implications for its conservation and long-term survival. Published in Hydrological Processes the study led by Professor Abhayanand Singh Maurya from IIT Roorkee is the first detailed isotope-based research proving that groundwater is the dominant contributor to the Ganga’s flow. As the river travels from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, groundwater boosts its volume by nearly 120%, far surpassing the contribution from glacier and snowmelt. Maurya explained that while glaciers and snowmelt sustain the upper s...

In a heartbreaking announcement, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has officially declared the slender-billed curlew Numenius tenuirostris extinct. This marks the first recorded case of a bird species vanishing from mainland Europe, North Africa, and West Asia a grim milestone in the global biodiversity crisis. The slender-billed curlew, once a graceful migratory bird breeding across central Asia and wintering in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, has not been sighted since the mid-1990s. Its extinction, confirmed by the IUCN in October 2025 after being deemed “highly probable” in 2024, highlights the deep and often overlooked challenges facing migratory bird conservation. Early signs of the species’ decline were recorded as far back as 1912. Although ...

As India faces a surge in extreme weather events driven by climate change, experts are urging a technological revolution in disaster management. The integration of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is emerging as a critical tool to predict, prepare for, and mitigate the devastating impacts of floods, landslides, cloudbursts, and heatwaves. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), India will see intensified monsoons, more frequent floods, and prolonged heatwaves in the coming years. A report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed that India endured extreme weather events on 322 days in 2024, almost the entire year. During last year’s monsoon alone, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded over 1,500 casualti...

Boston known for its harsh winters, is now facing a new reality sweltering heatwaves. As global temperatures rise due to climate change, the city is experiencing more days above 32°C (90°F) than ever before. While the late 20th century saw around 11 such days annually, estimates suggest this number could rise to 40 by 2030 and a staggering 90 by 2070. Last year alone, Boston declared two heat emergencies, but researchers say the real picture is far worse. Studies by Patricia Fabian of Boston University reveal that heat levels in certain neighbourhoods are much higher than official readings. Her team found that in Chelsea and East Boston, average temperatures were 3.3°C higher than those recorded at Logan Airport, where the city’s main weather station is located. On some days, peak tempe...

When people hear the word “disaster,” they often think of floods, droughts, or earthquakes events caused by nature. But what truly turns these natural events into disasters is how unprepared communities are to face them. A flood, for instance, becomes a catastrophe when there’s no safe housing, no early warnings, or no emergency support in place. As climate extremes become more frequent, the urgency for better disaster planning has never been greater. A decade-long study across five African countries Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reveals both progress and persistent challenges in disaster risk governance. The research assessed how these nations are aligning with the United Nations Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030) which...