Environment Archives - Disasters News

Sep252025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

China Unveils Ambitious Plan to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2035

BEIJING — China has announced a new and ambitious plan to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and dramatically shift its energy consumption towards renewable sources. Unveiled by President Xi Jinping at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the plan outlines a series of key targets to be met by 2035. Key Targets for Emissions and Energy As part of its updated climate commitments, China aims to cut its economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by between 7% and 10% by 2035. This reduction is intended to be achieved through a major transition in the nation's energy mix. President Xi Jinping highlighted that by 2035, non-fossil fuels will account for more than 30% of China's total energy consumption. To meet this target, the country plans a monumental expansion o...

Sep252025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Communities Pay the Hidden Price of Plastic Production, Report Finds

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

GENEVA — While the world's attention has focused on plastic waste polluting oceans, a new report and on-the-ground accounts reveal a hidden crisis: communities living near petrochemical plants are paying a heavy health and environmental price for plastic convenience. The findings emerge as global negotiations for a binding plastics treaty ended without consensus on capping production. A Shared Struggle from Texas to Gujarat The human cost of plastic production is evident in communities thousands of miles apart. In Houston, Texas, a resident named Yvette Arellano suffers from frequent nosebleeds, hormonal imbalances, and skin conditions linked to living near the petrochemical complex. She is not alone, as a 2024 Amnesty International report found a range of health issues, including he...

Sep32025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Red Alert for Noida and Ghaziabad as Rain Batters Delhi-NCR

Environment

NEW DELHI – The National Capital Region (NCR) is on high alert as incessant rainfall continues to lash the area, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for Ghaziabad and Noida. The warnings come as Gurugram, which was severely waterlogged on Monday, remains under an orange alert, with authorities advising schools and offices to operate online. The IMD attributed the heavy rainfall to a "low pressure area" over the Bay of Bengal, which is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall to Northwest India over the next two days. Urban Flooding and Traffic Chaos The continuous downpour has led to widespread waterlogging and traffic chaos across the region. In Gurugram, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) issued an advisory urging corpora...

Sep32025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

WMO Announced Return of La Niña and its Global Impact to Pacific Ocean

Environment

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has announced that the La Niña phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon is likely to return to the Equatorial Pacific Ocean in September 2025. While La Niña typically has a cooling effect on global temperatures, the WMO predicts that overall temperatures will remain above normal due to the overriding influence of human-induced climate change. What is La Niña? La Niña is a climate pattern characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean. This cooling alters global atmospheric circulation, impacting wind, pressure, and rainfall patterns in various regions around the world. The WMO states there is a 55% chance of La Niña conditions developing between September and November, with t...

Aug272025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Survey to Map Waste Depth at Bandhwari Landfill, Charcoal Plant Planned

Environment

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is preparing to conduct a scientific survey at the Bandhwari landfill to assess the depth of waste and plan for a waste-to-charcoal plant aimed at reducing pollution and remediating legacy waste. Officials estimate that around 12 lakh metric tonnes of waste have accumulated at the site, creating mounds nearly 20 metres high. To understand how far the waste has penetrated underground, borewell drilling will be carried out at 12 different locations. “The survey will not only provide clarity on the depth of the waste pile but also give us information about the water table beneath the landfill. Based on these findings, corrective action for the new plant can be taken,” said Sandeep Sihag, Executive Engineer, MCG. Waste-to-Charcoal Initiative...

Aug272025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

IITians Launch RaastaFix, A Citizen First App To Tackle Civic Woes In Gurugram

Environment, Idea & Innovations

Gurugram residents struggling with potholes, garbage heaps or waterlogging may now have a quick fix at hand. A group of IIT graduates has launched RaastaFix, a web-based application that allows people to report civic issues in less than 30 seconds. The app, which went live just five days ago, geo-tags and time-stamps every complaint. Once submitted, the report is automatically forwarded to multiple civic agencies, including the Municipal Corporation, Metropolitan Development Authority, NHAI, PWD, local councillors, MLAs and RWAs ensuring that the right authority gets the update without delays. Simple Process, Fast Results Residents can submit an issue in four easy steps: choose a category, upload photos, allow location detection, and hit submit. The process is designed to be seaml...

Aug272025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Why the BBNJ Treaty Could Be a Game Changer for the Mediterranean Sea

Environment, Idea & Innovations

The Mediterranean Sea covering less than 1% of the world oceans, holds more than 18% of all known marine species. Yet this ecological jewel faces mounting threats from climate change and overfishing to pollution and overlapping territorial disputes. Experts say the recently adopted UN treaty on ocean biodiversity known as the BBNJ Agreement could be the breakthrough the region urgently needs. A Global Treaty With Local Stakes In June 2023, after nearly two decades of negotiations, the global community adopted the “Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction,” or the BBNJ Agreement. Hailed as a milestone in ocean governance, the treaty cr...

Aug262025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

India to Seek Relief on EU Climate Trade Rules After US Wins Concessions

Environment, Interviews

With the European Union (EU) offering concessions to the United States on contentious climate linked trade measures India is preparing to demand similar treatment in the next round of negotiations on the India EU trade deal scheduled in Brussels next month. At the heart of the talks lies the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) a carbon tax set to take effect in January 2026. The measure will require importers of carbon-intensive goods, such as steel, cement, and aluminium, to pay a levy reflecting the carbon cost of production. While Brussels argues that CBAM ensures a level playing field for EU industries already subject to strict carbon rules many developing economies see it as discriminatory and protectionist. According to a senior Indian government official, New Delhi wi...

Aug82025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Ethiopia Endangered Walia Ibex Faces Sharp Population Decline

Environment

The Walia ibex Ethiopia’s iconic wild goat found only on the cliffs of the Simien Mountains, is once again on the brink of extinction after a steep drop in numbers over the past decade, a new study warns. Researchers recorded a decline from 865 individuals in 2015 to just 306 in 2024, with fewer than 250 mature animals remaining a threshold that qualifies the species as critically endangered under IUCN Red List criteria. The fall has been linked to the combined impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021–2022 Tigray war, which disrupted park protection efforts, cut tourism income, and strained community relations. This, experts say, has opened the door to poaching, with snares and carcasses discovered in recent years. Once listed as endangered, the Walia ibex had been downlisted...

Jun52025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Heat Rising, Warnings Failing: Why Early Action Is Crucial to Combat Global Heatwaves

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

As scorching temperatures shatter records with alarming frequency, a new era of climate danger is unfolding across the globe. From the U.S. to South Asia, heatwaves are no longer rare occurrences they're becoming the new normal. Today, on Heat Action Day, as communities around the world raise awareness of the dangers of extreme heat, it is clear that awareness alone is not enough. Action must follow swiftly, inclusively, and equitably. Across every continent, extreme heat is quietly claiming lives and overwhelming systems. It spares no part of daily life: hospitals overflow, energy grids collapse, outdoor labor becomes perilous, and students struggle to learn inside sweltering classrooms. In Nepal’s rural Madesh region, a recent study by Mercy Corps lays bare the educational conseque...