Tuesday, November 4News That Matters

Environment

Extreme Heat Threatens Child Growth in Bangladesh, Study Warns

Extreme Heat Threatens Child Growth in Bangladesh, Study Warns

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
The first 1,000 days of life play a crucial role in shaping a child’s future. But what happens when those days are spent in extreme heat? A new study, Extreme Heat Exposure in the First 1000 Days: Implications for Childhood Stunting in Bangladesh, has found a direct link between rising temperatures and childhood stunting. Despite Bangladesh’s significant progress in reducing stunting from 42% in 2012 to 28% in 2019 climate change now poses a serious threat to these gains. Extreme heat, defined as temperatures exceeding historical norms, disrupts critical biological processes. A mere 1% increase in extreme heat days raises the likelihood of stunting by 56%. Exposure after birth has an even stronger impact 67% compared to 28% for in-utero exposure. Babies born to mothers facing high...
India Rising Heat Worsens Water Crisis, Government Efforts and Sustainable Solutions

India Rising Heat Worsens Water Crisis, Government Efforts and Sustainable Solutions

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
India is grappling with an escalating water crisis worse by rising temperatures with 2024 recorded as the hottest year since 1901. As heatwaves intensified the country saw 733 deaths due to extreme heat according to a report by Heat Watch. The gap between water availability and consumption termed the water gap is increasing at an alarming rate. A study in Nature Communications found that India leads globally in water scarcity, with a baseline shortfall of 24.3 cubic km per year. Under a 1.5°C warming scenario, this gap is projected to increase by 11.1 cubic km annually, further straining resources. The worst-affected basins include the Ganga-Brahmaputra (56.1 cubic km per year) and Sabarmati (52.6 cubic km per year), where water demand far exceeds supply. Government Efforts and Su...
Haryana Steps Up Pollution Fight Plans Long-Term Clean Air Project

Haryana Steps Up Pollution Fight Plans Long-Term Clean Air Project

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Chandigarh, March 29, 2025 – Haryana is tightening its grip on air pollution with a series of strict regulatory actions including industrial closures, heavy fines, and pollution-control initiatives. Environment Minister Rao Narbir Singh, addressing the State Assembly emphasized the government's focus on air quality improvement through inspections, penalties, and awareness campaigns. 480 Industries Shut, ₹35 Crore in Fines The Haryana State Pollution Control Board has been actively inspecting industries, leading to the closure of 480 non-compliant units and the imposition of environmental fines worth ₹35 crore. While these efforts have led to some improvement in AQI, pollution hotspots like Faridabad and Gurugram continue to experience poor air quality. To combat seasonal pollution...
J&K Govt Admits Untreated Wastewater Discharged into Streams, Raising Jhelum Contamination Fears

J&K Govt Admits Untreated Wastewater Discharged into Streams, Raising Jhelum Contamination Fears

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
The Jammu and Kashmir government has acknowledged in the Legislative Assembly that untreated wastewater from Anantnag, Bijbehara, and Mattan is being discharged into nearby streams, raising concerns about pollution in the Jhelum River, Kashmir’s primary source of drinking water. The disclosure came in a written response from the Housing and Urban Development Department, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on March 11, 2025. The response was given to Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri, an MLA from Srigufwara-Bijbehara, who sought details on drainage networks and sewage treatment facilities in these towns. The government stated that municipal bodies and the Urban Environmental Engineering Department (UEED) constructed drainage networks, which are interconnected where possible. It claimed that wh...
Nepal Sagarmatha Sambaad Set to Tackle Climate Crisis Invite Global Leaders Amid Rising Environmental Concerns

Nepal Sagarmatha Sambaad Set to Tackle Climate Crisis Invite Global Leaders Amid Rising Environmental Concerns

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Nepal is gearing up to host its much-anticipated international dialogue, Sagarmatha Sambaad, from May 16 to 18 bringing together world leaders foreign ministers and experts to address the escalating climate crisis. The forum originally planned for 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic aims to spark crucial discussions on climate change climate justice, and its devastating impacts on mountainous nations. During a media briefing in Kathmandu, Amrit Bahadur Rai, Secretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, revealed that heads of state, foreign ministers, and ministers of forest and environment from various countries have been invited. While the list of attendees has yet to be finalized he confirmed that continuous dialogue is underway with different governments and internati...
New Global Tool and Finance Report Boosts Investment in Nature Based Climate Solutions

New Global Tool and Finance Report Boosts Investment in Nature Based Climate Solutions

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
A newly launched Global Tool and Finance Report, developed by the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI) and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), aims to scale investment in nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate-resilient infrastructure. Nature-based solutions play a crucial role in climate adaptation by strengthening resilience mitigating climate impacts, and supporting biodiversity. A UNEP report highlights that NbS influence up to 79% of Sustainable Development Goal targets. However, funding remains insufficient, with UNEP estimating that global investment in NbS needs to nearly triple to $542 billion by 2030 to meet critical biodiversity and climate targets. Finance Report: Unlocking Private Investment for NbS The Finance Report, led by researchers Ni...
2024 Becomes Hottest Year on Record as WMO Warns of Irreversible Climate Crisis

2024 Becomes Hottest Year on Record as WMO Warns of Irreversible Climate Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a stark warning in its latest report, confirming that 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded with global temperatures surpassing 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time. The findings highlight worsening climate conditions, including rising sea levels, record ocean warming, and extreme weather events leading to widespread displacement and economic losses. According to the report, the global mean temperature in 2024 was 1.55 ± 0.13°C above the 1850-1900 average, marking a devastating milestone in human-induced climate change. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo described the findings as an “urgent warning sign” rather than a definitive failure of the Paris Agreement goals, emphasizing that every fraction of a degree of w...
CO2 Levels Hit 8,00,000 Year High 2024 Warmest Year on Record

CO2 Levels Hit 8,00,000 Year High 2024 Warmest Year on Record

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
The State of Climate 2024 report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are now at their highest in the past 8,00,000 years with measurements reaching 420 parts per million in 2023. Alongside CO2, other greenhouse gases like methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) have also hit record levels intensifying global warming. Temperature Crosses 1.5°C Threshold The WMO’s analysis using six international datasets, found that 2024 became the first year where global temperatures exceeded the 1.5°C threshold annually a key limit set by the Paris Agreement. The global mean near-surface temperature was 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels driven by long-term warming and the early-year El Niño effect. Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General said ...
142,400 Tonnes of CO2 Emissions Protect 140 Million Hectares and Raise $633 Million in Sustainable Investments

142,400 Tonnes of CO2 Emissions Protect 140 Million Hectares and Raise $633 Million in Sustainable Investments

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
A new report from the World Economic Forum’s UpLink initiative has highlighted the significant environmental and economic contributions of early-stage innovators working on sustainability solutions. The Annual Impact Report 2025 revealed that UpLink-supported ventures have prevented 142,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over the past two years, equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 30,000 cars. In addition to reducing emissions, these ventures have played a crucial role in protecting 140 million hectares of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, an area nearly one-fifth the size of the Amazon rainforest. The report also stated that these initiatives treated 2.5 billion litres of hazardous wastewater and tracked 28 million tonnes of waste, contributing to global efforts in po...
India Records Earliest Heatwave and Warm Nights in 2025 Break 125 Year Old Records

India Records Earliest Heatwave and Warm Nights in 2025 Break 125 Year Old Records

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment
India has recorded its earliest heatwave and warm nights in 2025, marking a concerning trend in rising temperatures. On February 25, 2025, Goa and Maharashtra experienced the first heatwave of the year making it the first time a heatwave has been recorded during winter (January–February) according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). IMD also confirmed that February 2025 was the hottest February in 125 years. The impact of extreme temperatures has been felt in Odisha and Jharkhand which recorded their earliest heatwaves in four years. On March 15 Odisha’s Boudh registered the highest temperature in India, reaching 43.6°C on March 16. Jharsuguda followed with 42°C, while Bolangir recorded 41.7°C. These extreme heat conditions arrived much earlier than in previous years indicatin...