Tuesday, July 1News That Matters

Fact Check

Supreme Court Seeks Govt Response on Plea Over Heatwave Deaths, Demands Accountability on National Guidelines

Supreme Court Seeks Govt Response on Plea Over Heatwave Deaths, Demands Accountability on National Guidelines

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Fact Check
Taking serious note of rising fatalities due to heatwave conditions in India, the Supreme Court has asked the central government to respond within two weeks to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that alleges negligence in enforcing existing national guidelines meant to manage and mitigate extreme heat events. The case, brought before a bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, points to the death of more than 700 people due to heatwave and heat stress in the previous year alone. Filed by environment activist Vikrant Tongad, the petition seeks urgent implementation of nationwide Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in accordance with the guidelines framed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in 2019. The plea has highlighted that despite clear m...
Heat Risks Surge for Pregnant Women in India Amid Growing Climate Crisis

Heat Risks Surge for Pregnant Women in India Amid Growing Climate Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check, Learning & Developments
A new global study has revealed a startling rise in dangerously hot days for pregnant women, with India recording some of the sharpest increases over the past five years. The analysis confirms that climate change is significantly contributing to health risks during pregnancy by increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat exposure. Between 2020 and 2024, India experienced an average of six additional "pregnancy heat-risk days" annually that can be directly attributed to climate change. These days are defined as periods when daily maximum temperatures exceed the 95th percentile of historical local records, a threshold associated with increased risks of preterm birth and other adverse health outcomes for both mother and baby. The report, compiled by Climate Central, analyzed ...
Broken roads, empty plates: How transport failures fuel Africa’s hunger crisis

Broken roads, empty plates: How transport failures fuel Africa’s hunger crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
In a powerful new report, the World Bank warns that the battle against hunger in Africa is being lost not in the fields, but on the road. The problem isn’t just about growing more food it’s about getting it to where it’s needed. Titled “Transport for Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa,” the report sheds light on a broken supply chain that causes 37% of locally produced food to spoil before it reaches consumers. Across the continent, food meant to feed millions is left to rot in trucks stuck at dilapidated ports, jammed at chaotic borders, or delayed on potholed roads. For a region where 58% of people already face food insecurity, such losses are devastating. Supply Chain Strain Compared to Europe, Africa’s food supply chains are four times longer translating into higher transport...
Climate Disasters Could Trigger Billions in US Mortgage Losses by 2035

Climate Disasters Could Trigger Billions in US Mortgage Losses by 2035

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
A new report by risk-modelling firm First Street has revealed that climate-related disasters are rapidly emerging as a critical threat to the US housing market, with the potential to cause over $1.2 billion in mortgage-related credit losses in 2025 alone and up to $5.4 billion annually by 2035. The findings come as the Midwest reels from the deadly tornadoes that struck Missouri and Kentucky, killing at least 25 people and further exposing the vulnerabilities of American communities to intensifying climate extremes. Rising global temperatures are fueling more frequent and destructive weather events, leading to mounting insurance losses, higher premiums, and significant property value depreciation. According to First Street, nearly 19,000 properties could be foreclosed this year due t...
Born in the Heat: How Climate Change Is Putting Pregnant Women and Babies at Risk

Born in the Heat: How Climate Change Is Putting Pregnant Women and Babies at Risk

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
As climate change continues to drive extreme weather events around the globe, pregnant women are emerging as one of the most vulnerable populations. A groundbreaking new report from US-based research group Climate Central paints a disturbing picture: global warming is drastically increasing the number of “pregnancy heat-risk days” days when dangerously high temperatures threaten maternal and fetal health. The consequences are already being felt in hundreds of countries, especially in the Global South, where access to healthcare is limited. Heatwaves and Pregnancy: A Global Health Crisis Between 2020 and 2024, the number of high-heat exposure days for pregnant women more than doubled in 222 of the 247 countries and territories analyzed by Climate Central. These pregnancy heat-risk days ...
Dust Drift from Pakistan Dims Delhi Skies as Heat, Pollution Intensify

Dust Drift from Pakistan Dims Delhi Skies as Heat, Pollution Intensify

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
A new wave of dust from northern Pakistan has begun sweeping into Delhi-NCR raising fresh concerns over the capital’s air quality amid rising heat. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) strong lower-level westerly winds are carrying the dust through Punjab and Haryana into the heart of Delhi threatening to reverse recent gains in pollution control. While visibility in areas like Palam has improved to 4,000 meters far above the threshold that defines a dust storm the increase in airborne particulates has pushed Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) back into the ‘poor’ category. The Central Pollution Control Board reported an alarming AQI of 350 in Punjabi Bagh with several neighborhoods following suit. This resurgence of pollution comes after a short-lived improvement that...
Heat Rising, Risks Rising: Climate Change Threatens Global Maternal Health

Heat Rising, Risks Rising: Climate Change Threatens Global Maternal Health

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Fact Check
A new global analysis reveals that extreme heat, intensified by climate change, is endangering maternal health and birth outcomes around the world especially in vulnerable regions with limited access to healthcare. According to data from Climate Central, rising temperatures over the past five years have dramatically increased the number of high-risk heat days for pregnant women across the globe. The report assessed daily maximum temperatures between 2020 and 2024 in 247 countries, territories, and dependencies, as well as 940 major cities. It focused on what researchers call “pregnancy heat-risk days” those with maximum temperatures warmer than 95% of all historical temperatures at a given location. These conditions are closely associated with heightened risks of preterm birth and pregn...
Industrial Boilers Responsible for 7% of India Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Reveals New Report

Industrial Boilers Responsible for 7% of India Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Reveals New Report

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
A comprehensive study has revealed that industrial boilers across India contribute nearly 7% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting a critical and under-addressed source of pollution. With more emissions of particulate matter and sulphur dioxide than the entire automobile sector, the report calls for urgent reforms, including a proposed nationwide “Green Boiler Mission.” The findings underline the importance of overhauling aging industrial systems to achieve India’s climate goals, improve air quality, and enhance energy efficiency. India’s Boilers: A Hidden Climate Challenge India industrial growth has long depended on the power of boilers, especially in sectors like food processing, textiles, and chemicals. However, a new study released during the National ...
Heat Threatens Latin America Banana Industry, Puts Global Supply at Risk

Heat Threatens Latin America Banana Industry, Puts Global Supply at Risk

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Fact Check
Climate Pressures Shrinking Banana-Growing Zones Rising global temperatures are pushing Latin America’s banana-producing regions toward unsuitability, with new research warning that by 2080, up to 60% of current export-suitable areas could be lost without urgent climate action. Brazil’s Farmers Struggle in the Heat In Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia, banana farmers are already facing severe impacts. Even with irrigation, plantations are showing signs of stress during prolonged heatwaves. In 2023, extreme heat reduced harvest output by 15%, and similar conditions are likely to return this year. Major Exporters Under Threat The most vulnerable areas include Colombia and Costa Rica, key banana exporters to Europe and North America. These regions are experiencing rising te...
Swiss Glaciers Face Another Tough Year as Winter Snow Cover Drops 13% Below Average

Swiss Glaciers Face Another Tough Year as Winter Snow Cover Drops 13% Below Average

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
Despite heavy snowfall in 2024, new report warns of accelerating glacier melt and rising sea-level threats due to global warming and snow deficits Switzerland glaciers are once again bracing for a tough summer as a new report reveals that winter snow cover was 13% lower than the 2010–2020 average a worrying sign of their deepening vulnerability to climate change. The finding comes from Glacier Monitoring Switzerland (Glamos), whose latest assessment shows that the glaciers continue to suffer rapid losses even in years with significant snowfall. According to Glamos data Swiss glaciers lost 10% of their total ice volume in just two years 2022 and 2023 marking the steepest decline since records began. The current snow deficit though less severe than the two previous dry winters stil...