climate action Archives - Disasters News

Apr222025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Himachal Pradesh Ramps Up Forest Fire Readiness Calls for Community Vigilance

With forest fire season underway Himachal Pradesh is stepping up its preparedness efforts, combining technology, ground-level action, and public cooperation to safeguard its extensive forest cover. Chief Conservator of Forests, Shimla Circle, K Thirumal, announced on Monday that while recent rainfall has delayed major fires, the threat remains high due to the state's 68% forest cover well above the national average. Thirumal said during a press briefing “Thanks to good rainfall, fire incidents are still low, with only 90 cases recorded statewide, He noted that Himachal typically sees 1,500 to 2,000 fire incidents annually, with last year recording nearly 2,500 cases. Authorities have launched awareness drives and deployed fire personnel in vulnerable areas. “Community participation i...

Apr212025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Rising Risk of Solar Droughts Threatens Renewable Energy Reliability

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

As solar energy use surges across the globe especially in developing regions aiming for carbon neutrality a new study warns of a growing threat to its reliability: solar power “droughts.” Researchers from a recent study led by Lei et al. have identified periods of at least three consecutive days where solar power demand exceeds supply events they call solar power droughts. These shortages could leave millions without access to essential services like cooling or cooking, particularly in regions most vulnerable to climate extremes. Analyzing solar energy patterns from 1984 to 2014, the study found that areas such as the western United States, eastern Brazil, Southeast Asia, and large parts of Africa experienced at least five solar power droughts annually. Over those 30 years, the frequ...

Apr212025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Earth Day 2025 Climate Crisis Demands Urgent Action and Bold Investment

Breaking News, Climate Actions

As Earth Day approaches on April 22 environmental advocates are urging people around the globe to take a stand for the planet amid escalating climate and plastic pollution crises. The message is clear tackling climate change must be the top priority for the health of both the environment and the economy. The past year delivered a stark reminder of what's at stake. According to NASA, 2024 was the hottest year on record since global temperature monitoring began in 1880. In the United States alone, twenty-seven climate and weather disasters each caused at least $1 billion in damages nearly matching the all-time record set in 2023. Wildfires, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes have increasingly become the norm placing lives and livelihoods at constant risk. Southern California saw tens of ...

Apr192025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

North India braces weather whiplash storms heatwaves collide

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

North India reeled under a mix of extreme weather on Thursday, with violent thunderstorms lashing some regions and heatwaves gripping others. Himachal Pradesh reported a tragic casualty, as eight-year-old Abhishek Kumar lost his life when a tree crashed onto a hut in Hamirpur during a storm. Parts of Shimla and other hill areas were hit by heavy rain, hail, and thunderstorms, causing power cuts and uprooting trees. Crops in their flowering stage were badly affected, raising concerns among farmers. Meanwhile, the plains baked under relentless heat. Rajasthan’s Barmer touched a blazing 45°C, while Delhi sizzled at 40.6°C. Uttar Pradesh too saw temperatures soar as heatwave alerts remained active. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert, warning of contin...

Apr192025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

India First Pollution Market in Surat Cuts Emissions Saves Money Study

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

A groundbreaking study has revealed that Surat Gujarat, home to the world’s first market for trading particulate matter emissions, has successfully reduced industrial pollution and saved businesses money. Published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics (May 2025 edition) the study highlights how this innovative Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) achieved both environmental and economic wins. The ETS, which began as a pilot project over five years ago, is the first of its kind globally to target particulate pollution a major health hazard in India. The programme was a joint effort by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago. Using real-time monitoring systems, 318 large coal-using industrial plants in Surat were brought under a cap-a...

Apr192025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Tanzania Faces Hottest Year Ever With Nights Getting Warmer and Rainfall Surging

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Tanzania recorded its hottest year on record in 2024 as temperatures especially at night climbed significantly across the country. According to the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA), the national average temperature hit 24.3°C, which is 0.7°C above normal. This broke the previous record set just a year earlier in 2023. But it wasn’t just the heat during the day that stood out. The biggest change came from rising nighttime temperatures. The average minimum temperature in 2024 reached 19.3°C, which is 1.1°C higher than the usual. This warming at night was more intense than the rise in daytime highs, which averaged 28.8°C just 0.4°C above normal. Regions around Lake Victoria, the northeastern highlands, and the islands of Unguja and Pemba saw the most extreme changes, with minimum...

Apr182025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Closest Ever Arctic Thunderstorm Sparks New Questions About Polar Weather in a Warming World

Breaking News, Climate Actions

A thunderstorm that roared to within just 44 kilometers of the North Pole in August 2019 is forcing scientists to rethink what’s possible in Earth’s coldest regions. Traditionally too cold and dry for thunderstorms, the Arctic may now be facing a stormy new reality as the climate warms. Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China have uncovered fresh insights into the rare Arctic thunderstorm publishing their findings in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. The study links the storm formation directly to a warming event that brought warm moist air deep into the polar region triggering a chain of atmospheric instability rarely seen so far north. Between August 12–13, 2019, the Worldwide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) recorded 342 lightning events, with 122 conc...

Apr172025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Telangana Leads Nation in Heatwave Response with New Relief Measures

Breaking News, Climate Actions

In a landmark step toward climate resilience Telangana has officially declared heatwave and sunstroke as 'State-Specific Disasters' making it possibly the first Indian state to do so. The announcement includes a significant ₹4 lakh ex gratia for families of victims who lose their lives due to extreme heat. This decision marks a shift from the earlier Apathbandhu scheme, which provided ₹50,000 compensation. The move comes in response to the growing but often under-reported impact of heatwaves on vulnerable populations especially the elderly, children, and women. According to the latest Government Order, 28 of Telangana’s 33 districts have already endured over 15 days of intense heatwave conditions this year. The state is now rolling out district-specific heatwave action plans, increas...

Apr162025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Gadkari Sounds Alarm on Pollution Crisis Urges Green Infrastructure Alternative Fuels to Protect Lives

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has once again turned the spotlight on India growing pollution crisis calling for an urgent green overhaul of the country infrastructure. Speaking at a recent event in Mumbai Gadkari warned that pollution levels in cities like Delhi and Mumbai are not just environmental concerns they’re public health emergencies. Highlighting a grim reality he claimed that even a three-day stay in Delhi could lead to health issues due to the dangerously high levels of air and water contamination. “Pollution in Delhi is so severe that it can reduce an individual’s life expectancy by nearly ten years,” he said, urging immediate intervention. As part of his “green crusade,” Gadkari emphasized the role of infrastructure in pollution control. He outlined how better road networ...

Apr162025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Kallakkadal Crisis Rising Sea Shrinking Shore Threaten Lives in Kerala

Breaking News, Climate Actions

Since December, residents along Kerala’s Vembanad Lake India’s longest have been battling flood-like conditions in their homes. For Raphel Abraham a local from Edakochi, life has been nothing short of “hell,” as seawater continues to seep in forcing families to abandon their homes or endure prolonged waterlogging. The culprit? A mysterious sea phenomenon known as ‘kallakkadal’, which translates to “the sea that arrives like a thief.” Though traditionally observed in the pre-monsoon months (April–May), experts now believe that the waves behind kallakkadal swell waves traveling thousands of kilometers across the ocean may no longer follow a seasonal pattern. Approved by UNESCO in 2012 as a scientific term, kallakkadal is caused by large swell waves formed due to distant storms and cycl...