Wednesday, April 23News That Matters

Climate Actions

Unseasonal Storms Kill Over 100 in India Nepal IMD Warns of More Rain and Heatwaves Ahead

Unseasonal Storms Kill Over 100 in India Nepal IMD Warns of More Rain and Heatwaves Ahead

Breaking News, Climate Actions
In a tragic turn of weather more than 100 people have lost their lives across India and Nepal following a wave of unseasonal heavy rainfall, lightning strikes and thunderstorms that began midweek. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of continued adverse weather in the coming days with both storms and extreme heat forecast for different parts of the region. Eastern Indian states have been hit hardest. Bihar has reported at least 82 deaths over the past 48 hours primarily due to lightning and other rain-related incidents according to the state's disaster management department. In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, 18 fatalities have been linked to storms and lightning strikes. Nepal has also suffered from the sudden shift in weather. The country’s National Disaster Authority...
From Panic to Preparedness: How Early Warnings Are Changing Lives in Flood-Prone Philippines

From Panic to Preparedness: How Early Warnings Are Changing Lives in Flood-Prone Philippines

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Thoughts & Talks
Sitting quietly on her sofa eyes on the TV and phone in hand, Ma. Lourdes D. Ramas stays calm as a yellow warning alert flashes on her screen. Just a few meters from a river basin in Surigao del Sur, her home is vulnerable but unlike before, fear no longer grips her at every thunderclap. She doesn't need to step outside to check the water level. Technology and a community-first approach to disaster preparedness is making all the difference. “Don’t worry, Ma,” she tells her elderly mother. “It’s only a yellow warning. Nothing serious. You can sleep now.” In a country that faces about 20 typhoons a year, scenes like these are familiar. The Philippines tops the 2023 World Risk Index as the most climate-vulnerable nation among 193 countries. Typhoons bring floods, landslides, and storm s...
Heatwave Deaths in India Vastly Undercounted Researchers Warn

Heatwave Deaths in India Vastly Undercounted Researchers Warn

Breaking News, Climate Actions
New Delhi, April 10, 2025 — India soaring heat is killing far more people than official numbers suggest according to new research that reveals serious flaws in how heatwave-related deaths are tracked and reported. Experts say that doctors often fail to list extreme heat as a cause of death, instead writing down only immediate medical reasons like heart failure or dehydration. This leads to a critical underestimation of the true toll, which in turn affects how governments respond and allocate resources to tackle rising temperatures. Between 2000 and 2020, different government bodies reported vastly different figures from around 10,500 to over 20,000 deaths from heat-related causes. But these numbers pale in comparison to peer-reviewed studies, which suggest tens of thousands may be dy...
Toxic Algal Bloom Turns California Sea Lions Aggressive

Toxic Algal Bloom Turns California Sea Lions Aggressive

Breaking News, Climate Actions
California, April 2025: A disturbing wave of aggression by sea lions along California’s coast has left beachgoers alarmed. The animals, usually playful and calm, have begun attacking humans a behaviour scientists describe as both unprecedented and “demonic”. At the heart of this troubling transformation is a toxic algal bloom off the southern Californian coast. The algae, Pseudo-nitzschia, produces domoic acid, a potent neurotoxin that has infiltrated the marine food chain. Small fish consume the algae, and larger predators like sea lions feed on them, unknowingly ingesting the toxin. The result has been devastating: hundreds of sea lions lying sick along the coast, suffering from muscle spasms, confusion, and extreme aggression. Some have bitten surfers and beach visitors. While no ...
Algal Bloom Turns Sea Lions Behind Surge in Aggressive Attacks on California Coast

Algal Bloom Turns Sea Lions Behind Surge in Aggressive Attacks on California Coast

Breaking News, Climate Actions
A mysterious and disturbing shift is unfolding along California’s scenic coastline, where usually playful sea lions are turning violent lunging at beachgoers, biting surfers, and displaying what experts are calling "demonic" behaviour. The cause? A toxic algal bloom that’s wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems and warping the minds of sea lions. Weighing up to 300 kilograms, adult male sea lions are powerful marine mammals. Their sudden shift from friendly companions to unpredictable attackers has alarmed wildlife authorities, marine biologists, and locals alike. Though no fatalities have occurred, dozens of people have been bitten in recent weeks, and the danger continues to grow. But the aggression isn’t rooted in natural hostility. It’s heartbreakingly unnatural driven by a neurotox...
Africa Climate Wake-Up Nearly Half Say Governments Must Lead Fight Against Global Warming

Africa Climate Wake-Up Nearly Half Say Governments Must Lead Fight Against Global Warming

Breaking News, Climate Actions
In a sweeping new survey that reflects the growing urgency of the climate crisis in Africa, nearly half of those aware of climate change across the continent believe their own governments should bear the primary responsibility for combating its impacts. The findings, published in the journal Nature, draw from Afrobarometer  the largest public opinion survey in Africa and shed light on how citizens across 39 countries are assigning blame and demanding accountability for a crisis that is fast reshaping their lives. Of the 53,444 people surveyed, 26,735 respondents said they were aware of climate change. Among this informed group, 45 per cent pointed to their national governments as the ones who must lead the charge against the unfolding environmental crisis. Another 30 per cent placed tha...
Kuwait Climate Crossroads: How Extreme Heat and Floods Are Exposing Gaps in Urban Planning and Risk Management

Kuwait Climate Crossroads: How Extreme Heat and Floods Are Exposing Gaps in Urban Planning and Risk Management

Breaking News, Climate Actions
As climate change accelerates, the Middle East is heating up nearly twice as fast as the global average and Kuwait is at the centre of this alarming trend. Countries on the Arabian Peninsula, including Kuwait, are projected to face temperature increases of 3–4°C decades earlier than much of the world. In fact, this shift is no longer theoretical it's already happening. Kuwait recorded a sweltering 54°C in 2016, one of the hottest temperatures ever documented worldwide. But heat isn’t the only hazard the country faces. Kuwait is also witnessing more intense and unpredictable rainfall events, leading to severe flash floods in cities like Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai, and Kuwait City. This dangerous mix of extreme heat and flash floods is creating multi-hazard scenarios that are pushing Kuwait’s ...
CityCLIM Project Helps Cities Battle Soaring Urban Heat as Billions Face Rising Risk

CityCLIM Project Helps Cities Battle Soaring Urban Heat as Billions Face Rising Risk

Breaking News, Climate Actions
As climate change fuels more frequent and intense heatwaves, over 1.7 billion people globally are now at risk, according to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC). The issue is particularly acute in cities, where rising temperatures, combined with dense infrastructure, create urban heat islands (UHIs) pockets of significantly higher heat that threaten public health, infrastructure, and productivity. In fact a study published in The Lancet by the EARLY-ADAPT project found that more than 4% of summer deaths in European cities are linked to UHIs. To combat this growing crisis the EU-backed CityCLIM project is offering a promising way forward. Led by Stephan Holsten, head of the Earth Observation Missions and Applications department at OHB System in Germany, the project merge...
New Floodplain Study Offers Breakthrough in Building Climate-Resilient Communities

New Floodplain Study Offers Breakthrough in Building Climate-Resilient Communities

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
As climate change fuels more intense and frequent storms, strengthening flood mitigation strategies has become a top priority. Lives, agriculture, and critical infrastructure are at increasing risk, particularly in downstream communities where effective flood resilience is essential. A new study from the University of Vermont (UVM) sheds light on a powerful yet underutilized natural ally in this fight: floodplains. Floodplains the low-lying land flanking rivers and streams act as nature’s shock absorbers. By temporarily storing excess water during floods, they reduce flood peaks, slow water velocity, and limit erosion in a process called attenuation. But not all floodplains work the same way. The latest research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface introduces ...
Life on the Climate Frontline Seoul Poorest Suffer the Most Pollute the Least

Life on the Climate Frontline Seoul Poorest Suffer the Most Pollute the Least

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
In one of Seoul most impoverished corners residents of jjokbang-chon cramped windowless rooms often without basic amenities live quietly in the shadows of a rapidly developing city. These marginalized communities contribute the least to climate change, yet they endure its harshest effects. A new study from the University of Kansas exposes this stark climate injustice and calls for a shift in how the world addresses both poverty and the climate crisis. Dr. Joonmo Kang, assistant professor of social welfare at KU, spent a year living inside this so-called “last remaining slum” in the heart of South Korea’s capital. His goal was to understand how climate-related disasters shape the lives of the poorest residents. What he found was not just poverty but systemic neglect, environmental vulner...