Tuesday, November 4News That Matters

Tag: climate crisis

Tanzania Farmers Abandoned: How US Aid Cuts Are Turning Hope into Hunger Amid Climate Crisis

Tanzania Farmers Abandoned: How US Aid Cuts Are Turning Hope into Hunger Amid Climate Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Asha Omary, a 38-year-old farmer in Tanzania’s Kiroka village, faces a grim reality. Her once-thriving rice fields are now stunted, with yellowing leaves and dry soil. For five years, USAID-supported programs taught her how to grow more rice with less water and reduce soil erosion. But this year, the support vanished. “We had help for years,” Omary said. “Now we are alone.” Her husband, Juma, takes odd jobs to make ends meet. Without expert advice, pests and weeds overrun her fields, and vital terracing techniques are deteriorating. Omary and her fellow farmers have seen their hopes dim as US climate aid ended without notice. These programs were lifelines for many Tanzanian farmers battling erratic rainfall and rising temperatures. Farmers were taught sustainable practices, like the ...
Climate-Driven Wildfires Could Reshape Global Emissions Accounting: UN Expert

Climate-Driven Wildfires Could Reshape Global Emissions Accounting: UN Expert

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Opinions
The growing impact of climate-driven wildfires is forcing a rethink in how greenhouse gas inventories calculate emissions, says Minal Pathak, an associate professor at Ahmedabad University and co-author of the United Nations Emissions Gap Report. For the first time, the 2024 report has included wildfire emissions, highlighting the complexities of accounting for these fires in global climate data. Pathak explains that wildfires are categorized as either natural or anthropogenic, with the latter resulting from activities like agricultural burning. While CO₂ from fires is often considered carbon neutral since forests can regrow and reabsorb emissions climate change is altering this balance, making it harder to predict how forests recover and store carbon. Recent wildfires in Los Angeles...
Canada over 540,000 New Homes Built in flood-prone Areas to Tackle climate risks

Canada over 540,000 New Homes Built in flood-prone Areas to Tackle climate risks

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Learning & Developments
A groundbreaking report highlights how Canada can tackle its housing needs while avoiding catastrophic climate risks. It’s the first study in the country to quantify the economic damage of building homes in flood and wildfire-prone areas, urging a shift away from hazard zones to save billions and protect communities. The analysis warns that by 2030, over 540,000 new homes could be built in flood-prone areas, leading to $2 billion in annual damages. The financial burden will hit Manitoba and the Yukon hardest, with each new home in high-risk zones adding $1,200 per year in extra costs. The report calls for urgent action, recommending that housing developments be placed in safer areas. By planning smarter, Canada can prevent escalating disaster costs while ensuring its citizens have se...
Climate Crisis hits African Mountains Harder than Expected

Climate Crisis hits African Mountains Harder than Expected

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Learning & Developments
A new study from the University of York reveals that climate change is impacting mountain communities in equatorial Africa far more severely than previously thought, demanding urgent adaptation measures. Researchers interviewed 1,500 smallholder farmers across ten mountain regions in eight countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Rwanda and found widespread reports of rising temperatures, declining rainfall, increased extreme weather, and unpredictable seasons. These shifts are disrupting agriculture, reducing crop yields, and worsening food security for millions. Communities are adapting by changing farming methods, diversifying livelihoods, and improving water and soil management, but responses vary significantly across regions. Experts stress that a one-size-fits-all appro...
January Breaks Heat Record Despite La Niña, Cooling Predictions

January Breaks Heat Record Despite La Niña, Cooling Predictions

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment
The world witnessed yet another record-breaking warm month in January 2025, defying expectations of a cooler year due to a developing La Niña and a frigid winter in the United States, according to data from the European climate service Copernicus. Unprecedented January Heat Copernicus reported that January 2025 was 0.09°C hotter than January 2024, the previous warmest January on record, and 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels. This marks the 18th month out of the last 19 that global temperatures have touched or exceeded the 1.5°C warming limit set by international climate agreements. Despite La Niña’s typical cooling influence, global temperatures have not dropped as expected, raising concerns among climate scientists. Scientists Warn of Accelerating Global Warming A new stud...
Drought in U.S. Northeast Signals Nationwide Water Crisis Risk

Drought in U.S. Northeast Signals Nationwide Water Crisis Risk

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment
The severe drought that gripped the U.S. Northeast in 2024 shattered the notion that water scarcity is only a problem for the arid West. After an exceptionally hot and dry summer, cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia faced unprecedented water shortages, with wildfires breaking out in states rarely affected by them. By December, much of the region was in moderate to severe drought, prompting officials to urge water conservation. This crisis serves as a warning: as global temperatures rise, extreme droughts can impact any part of the country. Hotter, drier conditions increase evaporation, deplete groundwater, and heighten the risk of wildfires. Though the Northeast’s drought began easing in early 2025, its effects highlight the urgent need for long-term water management strategi...
Jujube Trees Offer Hope Amid Conflict and Climate Struggles in Afghanistan

Jujube Trees Offer Hope Amid Conflict and Climate Struggles in Afghanistan

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
In  Afghanistan’s war-torn Nangarhar province, a simple but powerful solution is transforming lives: the jujube tree. As conflict, poverty, and climate change converge, afforestation efforts are providing both environmental protection and economic opportunities for displaced communities. Nestled along the Pakistan border, Nangarhar has long been a hotspot for violence and migration. Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees struggle with poverty, lack of resources, and increasingly extreme weather. Flash floods regularly devastate homes and farmland. “Every year, the floods come, destroying everything,” says Abdul Aziz, a resident of the Samar Khail Araban camp. Seeking a solution, local communities turned to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Th...
India Needs Comprehensive Climate Justice Policy for Disaster Resilience

India Needs Comprehensive Climate Justice Policy for Disaster Resilience

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment
As climate change-driven disasters intensify across India, experts are calling for a comprehensive climate justice policy that integrates disaster risk reduction, resilience building, and adequate budgetary allocations. In 2024, extreme weather events impacted 255 out of 274 days, leading to 3,238 deaths, destruction of 2.35 lakh houses, and damage to 3.2 million hectares of land, according to the Centre for Science and Environment. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs reported a 24% rise in disaster-related fatalities compared to the previous year. Key Policy Gaps & Recent Amendments The 2024 amendments to the Disaster Management Act, 2005, now include "disaster risk reduction", but effective implementation and budget oversight remain crucial. Urban Disaster Management ...
Green Banks Coalition Collapses as Major US Lenders Exit Net Zero Alliance

Green Banks Coalition Collapses as Major US Lenders Exit Net Zero Alliance

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
The Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), a key UN-backed coalition of financial institutions committed to climate-friendly investments, has suffered a major setback with the withdrawal of six of the largest American banks. With JP Morgan becoming the latest to exit, only three smaller US banks remain in the alliance. This mass departure underscores the growing tension between climate goals and political resistance in the US financial sector. NZBA: A Climate Commitment Now in Question The NZBA, launched ahead of COP26 in 2021, is a global network of banks pledged to align their financing with net-zero emissions targets by 2050. With 136 members across 44 countries managing assets worth $57 trillion, the alliance was meant to be a major driver of climate-conscious banking. However, its ef...
India Warns Lack of Climate Funding May Force Global South to Revise Climate Targets

India Warns Lack of Climate Funding May Force Global South to Revise Climate Targets

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
India has raised significant concerns over the insufficient climate funding from developed nations, warning that this may lead developing countries to revise their climate targets. At the heart of the issue is the 2024 UN climate conference's financial package, which has been criticized for offering little hope in addressing the climate crisis. The shortfall in funding has sparked tensions between the Global South and developed countries, potentially undermining global climate action efforts. Impact on India's Climate Actions and Sustainable Development India's Economic Survey for 2024-25, presented in Parliament, emphasized that without adequate financial support from richer nations, developing countries may have to reassess their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for the 2...