Wednesday, April 23News That Matters

Tag: climate crisis

Life on the Climate Frontline Seoul Poorest Suffer the Most Pollute the Least

Life on the Climate Frontline Seoul Poorest Suffer the Most Pollute the Least

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
In one of Seoul most impoverished corners residents of jjokbang-chon cramped windowless rooms often without basic amenities live quietly in the shadows of a rapidly developing city. These marginalized communities contribute the least to climate change, yet they endure its harshest effects. A new study from the University of Kansas exposes this stark climate injustice and calls for a shift in how the world addresses both poverty and the climate crisis. Dr. Joonmo Kang, assistant professor of social welfare at KU, spent a year living inside this so-called “last remaining slum” in the heart of South Korea’s capital. His goal was to understand how climate-related disasters shape the lives of the poorest residents. What he found was not just poverty but systemic neglect, environmental vulner...
kolkata Pollution Harming sundarbans Experts call for united climate action

kolkata Pollution Harming sundarbans Experts call for united climate action

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
Kolkata and the Sundarbans two regions separated by just 100 km, are now being seen as climate twins. At a recent meet in Kolkata, experts said that the air and water pollution from the city is damaging the Sundarbans mangroves an ecosystem that, in turn, acts as a vital buffer protecting Kolkata from extreme weather. The loss of these mangroves is making the city more vulnerable to climate shocks. At the heart of the meet was the Kolkata Declaration 2025, a five-point agenda focused on a shared climate security strategy. Experts stressed the need for an integrated approach rather than treating Kolkata and the Sundarbans as separate climate cases. The event, a citizen assembly, was organised by Tramjatra an international tram-lovers’ movement involving activists from Kolkata and Melb...
Arctic Sea Ice Hits Lowest Ever Winter Peak in 2025 Raising Alarms Over Global Climate Shifts

Arctic Sea Ice Hits Lowest Ever Winter Peak in 2025 Raising Alarms Over Global Climate Shifts

Breaking News, Climate Actions
The Arctic winter sea ice has hit an unprecedented low in 2025, reaching 14.33 million square kilometres the smallest winter maximum ever recorded since satellite monitoring began in 1979, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). This year’s peak, reached on March 22 is lower than the previous record of 14.41 million sq km set in 2017 and a massive 1.32 million sq km below the 1981–2010 average. The "missing ice" area is larger than the entire state of California, a striking reminder of the planet’s rapid warming. At the same time, Antarctica clocked its second-lowest sea ice minimum 1.98 million sq km on March 1 making February 2025 the month with the least global sea ice coverage ever recorded. According to experts, this Arctic record is more than a s...
Women Bear the Brunt of Climate Disasters: Experts Call for Gender-Disaggregated Data to Shape Better Disaster Response

Women Bear the Brunt of Climate Disasters: Experts Call for Gender-Disaggregated Data to Shape Better Disaster Response

Breaking News, Climate Actions
Experts have said that women are more affected by climate disasters like floods, droughts, and heatwaves but there is not enough data to show exactly how. Without proper gender-wise data, it’s hard to make good plans and policies to help women during such disasters. At a recent workshop in Delhi, experts from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and UN Women said that collecting data on how disasters affect women differently is very important. For example, during a flood or cyclone, we often don’t know how many women got hurt, lost their income, or were displaced. Susan Ferguson from UN Women said that most rural women work in farming or informal jobs and suffer more when disasters hit. “We need clear data about women so that governments can make better plans and provide...
Arctic Sea Ice Hits Record-Low Winter Peak, Raising Climate Alarms

Arctic Sea Ice Hits Record-Low Winter Peak, Raising Climate Alarms

Breaking News, Climate Actions
Arctic sea ice has reached its lowest winter maximum ever recorded, sparking renewed concerns over the accelerating impact of climate change. According to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), the Arctic's sea ice extent peaked at 14.33 million square kilometres on March 22, 2025, marking the lowest winter maximum since satellite records began in 1979. This figure falls below the previous record low of 14.41 million square kilometres in 2017 and is a staggering 1.32 million square kilometres below the 1981–2010 average an area larger than California. At the same time, Antarctic sea ice reached its second-lowest annual minimum on March 1, 2025, measuring just 1.98 million square kilometres, contributing to a global sea ice coverage record low in February. The implicatio...
Tony Juniper’s ‘Just Earth’ Exposes Climate Injustice Calls for Fairer Policies Wealth Redistribution

Tony Juniper’s ‘Just Earth’ Exposes Climate Injustice Calls for Fairer Policies Wealth Redistribution

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
British environmentalist Tony Juniper’s new book Just Earth: How a Fairer World Will Save the Planet, explores the deep connection between social justice and environmental action, arguing that inequality is a key barrier to solving global crises like climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Juniper, who has led Friends of the Earth, The Wildlife Trusts, and currently chairs Natural England, emphasizes that disadvantaged communities have little say in policy decisions, while powerful nations and wealthy individuals disproportionately contribute to environmental destruction. His book highlights how the richest 10% of the world’s population emit more greenhouse gases than the poorest 50%, yet the most vulnerable bear the brunt of climate disasters. The book critiques global cli...
Women Farmers in India Use Climate Insurance to Fight Extreme Heat

Women Farmers in India Use Climate Insurance to Fight Extreme Heat

Breaking News, Climate Actions
Deepikaben Rathva stood in her parched Gujarat field, the cracked earth beneath her feet a stark reminder of the May 2024 heatwave that had burned her crops to dust. But this time instead of falling into debt or desperation, her mobile phone buzzed a message from the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) confirmed that an insurance payout had arrived. She hadn’t even filed a claim. For millions of women farmers in India, climate change is more than a crisis it’s a battle for survival. Limited land rights, smaller plots, and restricted financial access leave them especially vulnerable. A 2024 FAO report reveals that female-headed households lose 8% more income to heat stress than male-headed ones. If global temperatures rise by 1°C, their earnings could drop 34% more than their male c...
Are the World Water Towers Running Dry? UN Report Raises Alarming Concerns

Are the World Water Towers Running Dry? UN Report Raises Alarming Concerns

Breaking News, Climate Actions
Half of the world population faces severe water scarcity for at least part of the year, and the situation is worsening as glaciers melt at an alarming rate. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025 titled Mountains and Glaciers Water Towers, highlights the growing threat to freshwater supplies for over two billion people worldwide. The rapid decline of glaciers is not only reducing access to clean water but also exacerbating the global sanitation crisis, affecting 3.5 billion people who lack safely managed sanitation. The 2025 report places a special focus on mountains and glaciers, aligning with the UN initiative to declare 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers Preservation. With climate change accelerating ice loss in critical water sources the report underscores th...
South Korea Faces Worst Wildfire Crisis as Blazes Leave 18 Dead, Thousands Displaced

South Korea Faces Worst Wildfire Crisis as Blazes Leave 18 Dead, Thousands Displaced

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
South Korea is battling its deadliest wildfire outbreak, with at least 18 fatalities and 19 injuries reported as flames continue to consume vast areas of the country's southeastern regions. The fires, which erupted on March 21 in Sancheong County, have spread rapidly to Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok, forcing over 23,000 people to evacuate. Acting President Han Duck-soo described the situation as “unprecedented”, marking a historic wildfire disaster in a country where such fires are relatively rare. The National Fire Agency has escalated its response to the highest emergency level, deploying thousands of firefighters, 5,000 military personnel, and US military helicopters to combat the blazes. Among the devastation is Gounsa Temple1,300-year-old Buddhist site, w...
Bengaluru Student Study Shows Rejuvenating Lakes Can Solve Water Crisis

Bengaluru Student Study Shows Rejuvenating Lakes Can Solve Water Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
Once known as the ‘City of Lakes’, Bengaluru now faces severe water shortages with demand outstripping supply as rapid urbanisation takes its toll. However student-led research project under the Anveshana initiative suggests that restoring the city’s historical lake system could help achieve water self-reliance. Historically Bengaluru’s lakes functioned as interconnected reservoirs storing rainwater and supporting agriculture drinking water needs, and groundwater recharge. They also helped control floods by gradually releasing excess rainfall. However over the decades, urbanisation and groundwater extraction led to widespread lake neglect and encroachment, with many turning into sewage dumps. The city, now reliant on importing water from the Cauvery River, faces a growing demand-supp...