Climate Actions Archives - Page 47 of 77

Feb72025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Public Investment in Climate Finance & Care Services Essential for Adaptation

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

Climate finance plays a crucial role in addressing climate change, but one often-overlooked sector is care services the work of caring for people, both paid and unpaid, largely performed by women. As climate change intensifies, caregiving demands rise, yet infrastructure and resources remain inadequate. Why Care Services Matter in Climate Adaptation Extreme heat, floods, wildfires, and storms disproportionately impact vulnerable groups like young children and the elderly, increasing the need for healthcare, childcare, and elder care. However, most disaster preparedness plans fail to prioritize care services, leaving caregivers especially in urban informal settlements struggling with limited access to clean water, energy, and healthcare. Despite the growing urgency, climate finance...

Feb72025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Earthquake Hotspots: Why Suburban Areas Face Greater Devastation

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

A vast majority of earthquakes occur within the infamous Ring of Fire, a seismic hotspot encircling the Pacific Ocean. Yet, when these earthquakes strike, the areas that experience the most intense shaking aren’t always the ones that suffer the worst destruction. Recent research has uncovered a hidden factor contributing to earthquake devastation: migration patterns and housing vulnerabilities. The 1999 Chi-Chi Earthquake: A Case Study Taiwan’s catastrophic Chi-Chi earthquake in 1999, which claimed over 2,400 lives, presented an unexpected pattern of destruction. Contrary to expectations, the worst damage was not in the bustling city centers but in the suburbs and outer regions. Similar trends have been observed in earthquakes that hit China, Chile, and Nepal, raising questions about...

Feb62025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Hidden Risk Behind Earthquake Destruction: How Migration Shapes Disaster Impact

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

A new study has uncovered a hidden factor behind the devastating impact of earthquakes in suburban areas migration. Researchers at the University of Washington found that workers moving from rural regions to city outskirts often live in low-quality housing, making them more vulnerable to destruction when a major quake strikes. The study, published in Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, analyzed the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan, which killed over 2,400 people. Surprisingly, the most severe damage was not in city centers but in suburban areas where migrants had settled. Similar patterns were observed in past earthquakes in China, Chile, and Nepal. Lead researcher Tzu-Hsin Karen Chen explained that many migrants do not officially update their residence, leading to underestim...

Feb62025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Study Finds Greenland Ice 930 million cubic meters Fracturing at Alarming Rate

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

Scientists have discovered that Greenland’s ice sheet has developed 930 million cubic meters of crevasses in just five years equivalent to a Great Pyramid of Giza-sized crack forming every few days. This rapid fracturing, particularly in fast-moving glaciers, could trigger a feedback loop that accelerates ice loss and raises global sea levels. A new study by researchers from the University of Florida, Durham University, and other institutions analyzed satellite imagery from 2016 to 2021, marking the first large-scale, multi-year assessment of Greenland’s crevasse formations. Automated machine learning techniques were used to track these changes, as manual methods proved too dangerous and time-consuming. Findings show uneven crevasse activity across the ice sheet, with some regions es...

Feb62025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Arctic Heatwave North Pole Temperatures Soar 20°C Above Normal, Pushing Ice to Melting Point

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

In a dramatic climate event, temperatures at the North Pole surged more than 20°C above average on Sunday, surpassing the melting threshold for ice. According to European and U.S. weather models, regions north of Svalbard, Norway, had already experienced an 18°C temperature anomaly on Saturday, bringing actual readings dangerously close to 0°C. By Sunday, the anomaly had exceeded 20°C, marking one of the most extreme winter warming events recorded in the Arctic. “This was a very extreme winter warming event,” said Mika Rantanen, a scientist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. “Probably not the most extreme ever observed, but still at the upper edge of what can happen in the Arctic.” Scientists attribute this rapid warming to a combination of human-induced climate change and r...

Feb62025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Severe Water Shortages in 2024 Spark Warnings for Future Drought Preparedness

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

The U.S. Northeast, long considered safe from severe water shortages, faced an unprecedented drought in the second half of 2024, forcing major cities to impose water restrictions and raising alarms about the region’s preparedness for future crises. After a summer of record-breaking heat and minimal rainfall, states like New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania saw reservoirs drop to critical levels. Residents in New York City and Boston were urged to conserve water, while Philadelphia struggled with saltwater intrusion into its drinking supply as the Delaware River’s flow weakened. Wildfires, once rare in the region, erupted across parched landscapes, further underscoring the severity of the drought. Experts warn that this crisis is not an isolated event. As global temperatures rise...

Feb52025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Greenland Ice Sheet Cracking at Alarming Rate, Study Warns

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

Over the past five years, an astonishing 930 million cubic meters of crevasses have opened across Greenland’s ice sheet equivalent to a crack the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza forming every few days. This rapid increase in fracturing, particularly in the ice sheet’s fast-moving regions, could trigger a dangerous feedback loop that accelerates ice loss and raises global sea levels. A new multi-year study, led by researchers from the University of Florida and Durham University, provides the first large-scale analysis of Greenland’s glacier crevasses, spanning 2016 to 2021. The findings reveal significant variations across the ice sheet, with some areas especially in the west initially experiencing fewer crevasses, only to see an uptick in recent years. Overall, the study detected a sh...

Feb52025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Drought in U.S. Northeast Signals Nationwide Water Crisis Risk

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

The severe drought that gripped the U.S. Northeast in 2024 shattered the notion that water scarcity is only a problem for the arid West. After an exceptionally hot and dry summer, cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia faced unprecedented water shortages, with wildfires breaking out in states rarely affected by them. By December, much of the region was in moderate to severe drought, prompting officials to urge water conservation. This crisis serves as a warning: as global temperatures rise, extreme droughts can impact any part of the country. Hotter, drier conditions increase evaporation, deplete groundwater, and heighten the risk of wildfires. Though the Northeast’s drought began easing in early 2025, its effects highlight the urgent need for long-term water management strategi...

Feb52025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Jujube Trees Offer Hope Amid Conflict and Climate Struggles in Afghanistan

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

In Afghanistan’s war-torn Nangarhar province, a simple but powerful solution is transforming lives: the jujube tree. As conflict, poverty, and climate change converge, afforestation efforts are providing both environmental protection and economic opportunities for displaced communities. Nestled along the Pakistan border, Nangarhar has long been a hotspot for violence and migration. Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees struggle with poverty, lack of resources, and increasingly extreme weather. Flash floods regularly devastate homes and farmland. “Every year, the floods come, destroying everything,” says Abdul Aziz, a resident of the Samar Khail Araban camp. Seeking a solution, local communities turned to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Th...

Feb52025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Kerala Faces Early Heatwave as Munnar Remains a Chilly Haven

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Kerala is experiencing an unexpected surge in temperatures, months before summer officially begins. With the lingering effects of El Niño and the Uttarayan shift intensifying the heat, several districts are already witnessing scorching conditions, raising concerns about climate patterns and their impact on daily life. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has linked this rise in temperature to the sun’s northward movement, which brings it directly over the Tropic of Cancer. While most of Kerala struggles with unseasonal heat, Munnar the picturesque hill town in Idukki stands apart, recording freezing temperatures as low as zero degrees Celsius. Heatwave-Like Conditions Arrive Early January and February, usually mild months, have seen temperatures climb to alarming levels. Kann...