Thoughts & Talks Archives - Page 3 of 3

Jan52024 by Editor Desk1 Comment

Satellite Technology Emerges as a Lifesaver for Utilities and Disasters Impacts Assessments

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Space, Thoughts & Talks

Amidst these challenges, satellite technology has emerged as a beacon of hope for utilities. Leveraging high-resolution, multispectral imaging techniques, satellites contribute significantly to disaster management, offering real-time data, continuous monitoring, and risk assessment. The advantages of satellite technology for utilities in disaster management are manifold. Accuracy and Availability of Near Real-Time Data: In times of storms and disasters, rapid response is crucial for saving lives and minimizing risks. Satellites provide accurate, continuous, and near real-time data, transcending geographical, weather, and terrain limitations. With thousands of earth observation satellites capturing data through optical, LiDAR, radar, and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery, utilitie...

Jan32024 by Editor Desk1 Comment

Solutions for Sustainable Menstrual Hygiene: A strategic blueprint for environmental resilience and empowerment

Breaking News, Environment, Thoughts & Talks

Circular economy is an economic model designed to minimize waste and make the most of resources by promoting sustainability and longevity in product life cycles. In a traditional linear economy, goods are produced, used, and then discarded as waste. In contrast, a circular economy aims to close the loop, emphasizing the continual use, refurbishment, and recycling of products to extend their lifespan and reduce environmental impact. This approach encourages the design of products with recyclability in mind, efficient waste management, and the development of sustainable business practices. By shifting from the linear "take, make, dispose" model to a circular one, the goal is to create a more resilient and regenerative system that fosters environmental stewardship and economic prosperity. ...

Jan22024 by Editor Desk1 Comment

Climate Mitigation through Nature-Based Solutions (NBS)

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Thoughts & Talks

Climate change has profound and far-reaching effects on the environment, impacting ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural processes. One of the most pronounced consequences is the rise in global temperatures, leading to more frequent and severe heatwaves. This warming contributes to the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, causing rising sea levels and threatening coastal ecosystems and low-lying communities. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns also disrupt ecosystems and alter the distribution of plant and animal species, often leading to shifts in migration patterns and the emergence of new ecological challenges. Moreover, climate change intensifies extreme weather events, including hurricanes, droughts, floods, and wildfires. These events have devastating effects on both...

Jan12024 by Editor Desk1 Comment

Use of Emerging Technologies like Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning in Disaster Risk Reduction: Opportunities, challenges, and prospects

Breaking News, Tech, Thoughts & Talks

In the recent era of digital world, Artificial intelligence has become most popular and innovative technology, which is playing a critical role in managing disaster risk and predicting the extreme events. It has a wide range of applications from the forecasting the extreme weather events, to development of hazard maps, to the detection of events in real time basis, and integrated with spatial technology can provide the real-time situational awareness for any disaster event, and beyond. When we talk about AI let’s try to understand the AI form technology perspectives and how this can improve the disasters management practices. AI refers to emerging technologies that mimic or even outperform the human intelligence while performing certain tasks or even to automate the things. AI tools an...

Jan12024 by Editor Desk1 Comment

From Shaken Cadets to Lifesavers: The Haunting Memory of Latur

Breaking News, Disasters, Thoughts & Talks

The earth didn't shudder, it roared. Like a monstrous beast awakened, the ground beneath our feet at the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, Pune, erupted into a violent dance. September 30th, 1993, began not with reveille, but with chaos. Doors jammed, lights flickered out, and the air crackled with a raw, primal fear. The dust settled, revealing a world tilted on its axis. News trickled in, each syllable a hammer blow: Latur, Maharashtra, decimated by an earthquake, lives extinguished in the blink of an eye. The numbers climbed, a macabre symphony of loss: 30,000 souls swallowed by the earth's fury. A call went out, a plea for volunteers. It wasn't a question, it was a summons to action. We, the NDA cadets, were soldiers-in-training, but on that day, we became something else: ...

Dec222023 by disastersNo Comments

Climate Change Poses Growing Risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Third Pole Region

Breaking News, Environment, Thoughts & Talks

December 17, 2023, A new study published in the journal Nature Communications has raised climate change alarms about the increasing threat of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Third Pole region, encompassing the Tibetan Plateau, the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, and Tianshan Mountain ranges. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have highlighted the vulnerability of this ecologically crucial area to the impacts of climate change. The research indicates that the expansion of glacial lakes and the emergence of new ones in the Third Pole region are likely to result in a higher frequency of GLOFs in the coming years. This calls for the development of improved analytical methods and datasets to anticipate and mitigate potential disasters associated with these events. The Thi...

Dec222023 by disastersNo Comments

Understanding and Managing Cascading Disasters in the Himalayas

Breaking News, Disasters, Thoughts & Talks

On October 4, 2023, a tragic event unfolded in the Himalayas, as a cloudburst above Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim triggered a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF). This disaster claimed over 30 lives, obliterated the 1,200 MW Urja Hydroelectric Chungthang dam, and left a trail of destruction downstream. A stark reminder of the compounding and cascading risks induced by climate change, the Sikkim GLOF exemplifies the fragility of the Himalayan mountainous region and the severe threats it faces. Unveiling GLOF and Cloudburst Dynamics in Himalayas Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) stem from the sudden rupture of glacial lake dams. The Sikkim Himalayas, particularly the Teesta basin, are home to a plethora of such glacial lakes. South Lhonak Lake, one of the largest and fastest-growing gl...

Dec222023 by disastersNo Comments

UN Report says Global Emission Reductions Fall Short of Climate Goals by 2030 including worst impacts

Breaking News, Thoughts & Talks

A new report by the United Nations warns that global emissions are predicted to decrease by only 2 percent below 2019 levels by 2030, significantly below the required 43 percent reduction to avert the worst impacts of climate change. The report comes ahead of the 28th UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, where countries are expected to push for stronger climate action to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. According to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent by 2030 is crucial to limit temperature rise and avoid severe climate impacts such as droughts, heatwaves, and rainfall extremes. The report analyzed the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of 195 countries to the Paris Agreement, including 20 new or...