Environment Archives - Page 3 of 36

Mar142025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Rising seas groundwater loss and urban expansion push Asia megadeltas toward crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Coastal flooding in Asia’s megadeltas is intensifying due to rapid urbanization, land use changes, excessive groundwater extraction, infrastructure development, and widespread sand mining. Since 1990, urban areas below five meters above sea level have expanded by over 70% in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Mekong deltas, and by at least 200% in the Chao Phraya delta. The excessive withdrawal of groundwater has accelerated land subsidence in all five megadeltas, with sinking rates surpassing one centimeter per year. Additionally, intense river sand mining, driven by the high demand for construction materials, has contributed to severe erosion along riverbanks and coastlines. Dams built upstream further disrupt natural river flows by trapping sediments that are essential for maintain...

Mar132025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Unstoppable Heatwaves, Deadly Avalanches, and Global Negligence: How Climate Change is Pushing the World to the Edge

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Fact Check

As temperatures continue to soar across the country, climate experts warn that 2025 could be even hotter than the record-breaking 2024, pushing the world deeper into an environmental crisis. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has already issued heatwave warnings for multiple states, including Odisha, Kerala, and Maharashtra, while Bengaluru is expected to be hotter than Delhi this year. The rising heat is not just an inconvenience—it is claiming lives. In Mana, Uttarakhand, a devastating avalanche buried around 55 soldiers and workers at a border base camp, with many tragically losing their lives. Experts point to climate change as the root cause of these disasters. The western disturbances, which normally bring snowfall around December and January, have shifted to February and ...

Mar132025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Somalia Unites Experts to Confront Drought and Extreme Heat Threats in 2025 Gu Season

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Somalia has taken a crucial step toward tackling the looming threat of drought and extreme heat by hosting its Sixth National Climate Outlook Forum (NCOF6) in Mogadishu on March 4–5. The gathering brought together climate experts, government officials, and humanitarian agencies to assess the anticipated climate conditions for the Gu season (March-May 2025) and devise urgent mitigation strategies to protect communities from severe environmental challenges. The forum, organized by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), delivered a stark warning about the s...

Mar132025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Marine Heatwaves Surge 240% in Two Years, Triggering Global Disruptions

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

A new study has revealed a 240% increase in marine heatwave (MHW) days worldwide during the 2023-24 summers, marking an unprecedented rise in ocean temperatures due to climate change, El Niño, and record-low cloud cover. The research, published in Nature Climate Change, shows that 10% of the world's oceans recorded their highest-ever sea surface temperatures (SSTs), reaching levels four times above historical averages. Extreme Weather and Oceanic Disruptions The prolonged marine heatwaves had far-reaching effects, influencing global weather patterns and triggering severe storms, flooding, and cyclones: Heatwaves struck the UK, North America, and Japan Severe flooding hit Ecuador, Libya, Japan, and Australia The Atlantic hurricane season saw near-record storms MHWs in...

Mar122025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

India Air Pollution Crisis Damaging Despite Slight Improvement

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Fact Check

Despite a 7% drop in PM2.5 levels India remains the world's fifth most polluted country, with six of the ten most polluted cities globally. The 2024 IQAir World Air Quality Report reveals that India’s annual PM2.5 average fell to 50.6 µg/m³ from 54.4 µg/m³ in 2023, yet pollution levels remain alarmingly high. New Delhi, a pollution hotspot, recorded an annual PM2.5 average of 91.6 µg/m³, showing little change from the previous year. Northern states continue to suffer from severe pollution spikes, with Baddi in Himachal Pradesh reporting a shocking PM2.5 level of 165 µg/m³ in January. Stubble burning contributed to 60% of PM2.5 levels in Punjab, Haryana, and surrounding regions, worsening air quality in November. Air pollution remains a major public health crisis, reducing life expect...

Mar122025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Climate Change and Sewage Linked Viruses Growing Health Risks

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Rising temperatures and extreme weather events may be increasing the risk of virus exposure from sewage-contaminated waters, a new study warns. Scientists have found that viruses from raw sewage can persist in rivers, lakes, and seas for days, raising public health concerns. Heavy rainstorms often overload sewer systems, leading to untreated sewage being discharged into natural water bodies. This waste carries viruses such as enterovirus and norovirus, which can remain infectious for days, even after passing through wastewater treatment plants. In seawater, enteric viruses stayed infectious for up to three days at 30°C, while cooler temperatures extended their lifespan to a week. Sunlight reduced their viability to less than 24 hours on sunny days, but they survived for 2.5 days in clou...

Mar122025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Chennai Scorches Under Intense Heatwave Records Hottest Day of 2025

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Chennai is reeling under an intense heatwave as temperatures surge beyond normal levels, marking March 6, 2025, as the hottest day of the year so far. In Nungambakkam, the mercury climbed to 36.4°C—3.6°C above normal—while Meenambakkam recorded a scorching 37.7°C, exceeding the average by 4.3°C. Across the city, 11 weather stations reported temperatures above 37°C. Meanwhile, Erode in Tamil Nadu recorded the state’s highest temperature at 39.2°C, making it the hottest March 6 since 2000. With heat levels soaring unusually early in the year, meteorologists warn of prolonged high temperatures in the coming weeks. From News Desk

Mar122025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Extreme Heat in Eastern Africa Climate Change Worsens Crisis in South Sudan

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

A severe heatwave has gripped Eastern Africa since mid-February, with South Sudan facing extreme daytime temperatures that have devastated vulnerable communities. Schools have been shut nationwide after dozens of children collapsed from heatstroke in Juba, while outdoor workers and those in poor housing conditions struggle to cope with the relentless heat. The heatwave has exacerbated existing hardships in South Sudan, where a third of Juba’s population lacks access to clean water, and only 1% of the city offers green spaces for respite. Houses, often built with iron roofs and no cooling systems, trap heat, making indoor conditions nearly unbearable. Women and girls face disproportionate risks as they spend hours working in agriculture, collecting water, and cooking in extreme temperatu...

Mar122025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Pandemic Preparedness Are We Ready for the Next Global Health Crisis?

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

The world is struggling to control infectious diseases that should be manageable. Measles once near extinction has made a deadly return in Europe and the U.S. due to falling vaccination rates. Bird flu has spread across dairy herds in 17 U.S. states and has even been detected in cats, raising concerns about potential human transmission. Meanwhile polio almost eradicated has resurfaced in Gaza and New York. COVID-19 still claims between 500 and 1,000 lives each week globally. This winter hospitals in developed nations faced surges in flu, RSV, and COVID, exposing weaknesses in healthcare systems. Despite lessons from past outbreaks global responses remain slow, fragmented and politically charged. Over the past 60 years, four pandemics have swept the globe each revealing systemic failu...

Mar112025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Sea Level Could Rise Up to 1.9 Meters by 2100 if Emissions Continue

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Fact Check

A new study warns that global sea levels could rise as much as 1.9 meters by 2100 if carbon emissions remain unchecked 90 centimeters higher than the latest estimates by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The research, conducted by scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands, introduces a more accurate projection method that accounts for extreme climate scenarios. Published in Earth Future, the study highlights that traditional sea-level rise estimates vary widely due to uncertainties in climate models. While most models include well-understood factors like glacier melt, they struggle to predict less certain events such as sudden ice shelf collapse. To address this, the researc...