Thursday, October 9News That Matters

Tag: climate action

Mizoram delays official visits as floods and landslides disrupt lives, Tripura turns schools into shelters

Mizoram delays official visits as floods and landslides disrupt lives, Tripura turns schools into shelters

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Fact Check
June 5, 2025 — As relentless rains continue to batter India’s Northeast, the states of Mizoram and Tripura are grappling with severe weather disruptions that have triggered landslides, flash floods, and large-scale displacement. The Mizoram government has postponed all official visits, including those by dignitaries and state officials, to prioritize disaster management and public safety. In a circular issued on June 2 by Mizoram’s General Administration Department, authorities confirmed that prolonged and intense rainfall has led to widespread destruction. Key districts have been affected by landslides and mudslides, with critical infrastructure damaged and normal life severely hampered. District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), led by Deputy Commissioners, are on high aler...
Anti-Smog Guns & AI Cameras in Delhi’s 2025 Air Pollution Mitigation Plan

Anti-Smog Guns & AI Cameras in Delhi’s 2025 Air Pollution Mitigation Plan

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Idea & Innovations, Tech
With Delhi air quality once again under global scrutiny, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday rolled out the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025 a bold, tech-powered initiative to combat the capital’s perennial pollution crisis. Under the sweeping measures: ▸ Anti-smog guns are now mandatory for all high-rise commercial structures in Delhi malls, hotels, and office complexes exceeding 3,000 sq metres. ▸ Mist sprayers will be deployed at 13 identified air pollution hotspots across the city. ▸ From 1 November, only BS-VI compliant, electric, and CNG vehicles will be allowed to enter Delhi’s borders. Gupta’s announcement marks one of the most stringent efforts to date in tackling the city's toxic air, especially as Delhi braces for yet another hazardous winter season. AI Cam...
Antarctic Ice Sheet Near Irreversible Melting Tipping Point, Study Warns

Antarctic Ice Sheet Near Irreversible Melting Tipping Point, Study Warns

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
A groundbreaking new study has revealed that the Antarctic Ice Sheet Earth’s largest contributor to potential sea-level rise may be dangerously close to an irreversible tipping point, beyond which melting will continue even if global temperatures are stabilised or reduced. Scientists from Norway’s NORCE Research, the UK’s Northumbria University, and Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) have confirmed that the ice sheet is showing signs of “hysteresis” a phenomenon where a system continues on its path regardless of changes to the initial conditions. In this case, it means that the melting of Antarctica’s vast ice reserves could continue even without additional global warming. Using sophisticated computer simulations known as Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM), th...
Karnataka Governor Urges Collective Action on Sustainability at Bengaluru Summit

Karnataka Governor Urges Collective Action on Sustainability at Bengaluru Summit

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Thoughts & Talks
At the Bangalore Sustainability Summit held on Tuesday, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot called for urgent and unified efforts to protect the environment, stressing that the time for action is now. Speaking at the event themed “Advancing Sustainable Development Goals: Enhancing the Impact of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships,” jointly organised by O.P. Jindal Global University and RV University, the Governor urged a lifestyle rooted in simplicity, nature, and reverence for forests. “We must awaken a renewed consciousness—rooted in love and respect for nature,” Gehlot said, highlighting the dangers posed by rising pollution and depleting natural resources. He noted that recent challenges, such as the oxygen crisis, have only underscored the pressing need for environmental preservation...
New Study Finds Doubling Glacier Preservation Possible If 1.5°C Climate Target Is Met

New Study Finds Doubling Glacier Preservation Possible If 1.5°C Climate Target Is Met

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
A landmark study published in Science reveals that limiting global warming to 1.5°C as outlined in the Paris Agreement could preserve twice as much of the world’s glacier mass compared to current warming projections. Conducted by an international team of researchers, the study examined more than 200,000 glaciers outside of Greenland and Antarctica using eight advanced glacier models. The findings arrive during the United Nations’ International Year of Glaciers' Preservation and offer a stark warning about the irreversible impacts of unchecked climate change. Despite a global average temperature increase of 1.2°C since pre-industrial times, the research shows that 39% of glaciers are already set to disappear even if temperatures stabilized today. This loss alone would add more than fo...
Climate Change Doubled Extreme Heat Days in Nearly Every Country, New Report Finds

Climate Change Doubled Extreme Heat Days in Nearly Every Country, New Report Finds

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
A new analysis shows that human-caused climate change made 67 extreme heat events between May 2024 and May 2025 more likely including record-shattering heatwaves in the Mediterranean, Central Asia, and South Sudan. All 67 events either broke temperature records, caused serious damage, or both. Using the Climate Shift Index, researchers found that every country and territory experienced more extreme heat days due to climate change. In 195 countries, the number of such days has at least doubled compared to a world without global warming. Nearly 4 billion people half the world’s population faced an extra month of extreme heat over the past year. The report, compiled by Climate Central, World Weather Attribution, and the Red Cross Climate Centre, points to a troubling global pattern. In ...
Drought-Resistant Wheat: Friendly Soil Bacteria Offer Breakthrough for Climate-Smart Farming

Drought-Resistant Wheat: Friendly Soil Bacteria Offer Breakthrough for Climate-Smart Farming

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
In a major breakthrough for sustainable agriculture researchers at Western Sydney University have discovered that wheat plants under drought stress can recruit helpful soil microbes to survive a finding that could revolutionise crop resilience in the face of climate change. Nature’s SOS: Microbial Allies Beneath Our Feet The study, published in the prestigious journal Cell Host & Microbe, reveals that drought-hit wheat plants secrete a compound called 4-oxoproline through their roots. This acts like a chemical distress signal, attracting beneficial soil bacteria particularly Streptomyces and Leifsonia to their root zones. Once in place, these “drought-fighting” microbes respond by producing osmolytes, plant hormones, and nutrient solubilisers. Together, these help wheat plants...
Niger state reels as floods kill 117 and submerge thousands of homes

Niger state reels as floods kill 117 and submerge thousands of homes

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
Catastrophic flooding has left a trail of devastation across Niger state, where at least 117 people have been confirmed dead and more than 3,000 homes have been submerged. The death toll, which surged dramatically within a day, highlights the growing severity of seasonal floods in the region. The disaster struck two communities hardest, where torrential rainfall on Wednesday night into early Thursday morning caused rivers to overflow, inundating residential areas and sweeping away structures. The impact has been overwhelming, with dozens still unaccounted for and entire neighborhoods now under water. This tragedy bears grim similarities to Nigeria’s 2022 floods, the deadliest in over a decade, which claimed more than 600 lives and displaced approximately 1.4 million people across the...
Tropical Storms Drive Infant Deaths in Poor Nations, Global Study Finds

Tropical Storms Drive Infant Deaths in Poor Nations, Global Study Finds

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
A new study has revealed a sharp rise in infant mortality following exposure to tropical cyclones in low- and middle-income countries, raising concerns about how climate change is intensifying health risks for the most vulnerable. Published in Science Advances, the research shows that even low-strength storms not just major hurricanes are linked to increased deaths among infants. The study analyzed health data from nearly 1.7 million children across seven countries and found that infants exposed to tropical cyclones in the womb or within their first year of life were significantly more likely to die. On average, infant mortality rose by 11 percent, equivalent to 4.4 additional deaths per 1,000 live births, following storm exposure. The elevated risk was most pronounced within the first ...
Trees in Niger’s Schoolyards Offer Shade, Food, and Climate Education

Trees in Niger’s Schoolyards Offer Shade, Food, and Climate Education

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Learning & Developments
In the scorching cities of Niamey and Maradi, Niger's two largest urban centers, schoolyards are becoming unexpected green sanctuaries. A recent study of 60 schools has revealed that trees in school compounds are not only cooling overheated classrooms but also serving as tools for education, sources of nutrition, and symbols of resilience in the face of climate change. With rising temperatures and frequent heatwaves across the Sahel region, where temperatures often exceed 45°C, the importance of urban forestry is gaining new recognition. Trees in schoolyards play a critical role in reducing heat stress, creating shaded outdoor learning environments, and improving air quality. In overcrowded or under-resourced schools, these shaded spaces often double as open-air classrooms, offering a c...