Wednesday, March 12News That Matters

Tag: climate goals

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...
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...
WMO Launches Climate Services Dashboard to Boost Global Climate Action

WMO Launches Climate Services Dashboard to Boost Global Climate Action

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Idea & Innovations
As climate change accelerates, the demand for climate services that utilize scientific knowledge for mitigation, adaptation, and resilience is growing. In response, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has launched the Climate Services Dashboard, an innovative platform designed to improve global climate service capacities and support data-driven decision-making for effective climate action. The interactive dashboard offers a comprehensive tool for decision-makers, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), and development partners. It tracks essential data related to climate policy integration, climate service capabilities, and investment trends. This tool helps ensure that climate services play a vital role in supporting national climate action plans and sust...
Sikkim Flood Disaster Highlights Growing Climate Risks in the Himalayas

Sikkim Flood Disaster Highlights Growing Climate Risks in the Himalayas

Breaking News, Disasters, Fact Check, Learning & Developments
An international research team has concluded that the devastating flood disaster in Sikkim, India, in October 2023 was caused by the collapse of 14.7 million cubic meters of frozen moraine material into South Lhonak Lake, triggering a tsunami-like flood wave that reached up to 20 meters in height. This tragic event, which claimed at least 55 lives and caused widespread damage along the Teesta River, serves as a stark reminder of the escalating dangers posed by climate change in high mountain regions. A Massive Tsunami-like Wave On October 3, 2023, the collapse of frozen moraine material into the lake unleashed a catastrophic glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), releasing about 50 million cubic meters of water—equivalent to the volume of 20,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The flood c...
Bhutan Bold Move Weather, Climate Overhaul for a Resilient Future

Bhutan Bold Move Weather, Climate Overhaul for a Resilient Future

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
In the heart of the Himalayas, Bhutan a nation renowned for pioneering Gross National Happiness faces an escalating battle against climate-induced disasters. Yet, within this challenge lies a transformative opportunity to revolutionize its approach to weather, water, climate, and early warning services. The urgency is clear. In August, a flash flood, intensified by upstream landslides, devastated 70 households in Thimphu. A year earlier, another flash flood claimed 23 lives and severely damaged the Yungichhu hydropower project construction site. In 2021, extreme rainfall affected 2,500 acres of farmland across 18 Dzongkhags, destroying 2,400 metric tons of crops. Bhutan’s vulnerability is undeniable: the country hosts 700 glaciers and 567 glacial lakes, with 17 classified as high-risk f...
Economic Survey Flags Climate Finance Gap, Stresses Urgent Adaptation Needs

Economic Survey Flags Climate Finance Gap, Stresses Urgent Adaptation Needs

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check, Thoughts & Talks
The Economic Survey 2024-25, released on January 31, highlights India's urgent need for climate adaptation measures while criticizing the lack of international climate finance. The report warns that reliance on domestic resources could hinder development goals. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is formulating a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to align with sustainable development and climate resilience strategies. Meanwhile, the Initial Adaptation Communication (IAC) submitted to the UNFCCC outlines India’s vulnerability assessment and adaptation efforts across key sectors. In agriculture, India is focusing on climate-resilient crops, groundwater conservation, and soil health. Urban adaptation measures include improved water management under AMRUT, verti...
Mira Bhayandar Unveils Climate Action Plan to Achieve Net-Zero by 2047

Mira Bhayandar Unveils Climate Action Plan to Achieve Net-Zero by 2047

Breaking News, Climate Actions
Mira Bhayandar, a fast-growing satellite city of Greater Mumbai, has launched an ambitious Climate Action Plan aiming for net-zero emissions by 2047. This makes it the fifth city in Maharashtra after Mumbai, Sholapur, Nashik, and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar to develop a strategic roadmap for climate resilience. The Mira Bhayandar City Climate Action Plan 2024-2047, prepared jointly by the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat India and the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), was unveiled in Mumbai on January 29. It sets a target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 36%, focusing on renewable energy, energy efficiency in buildings, and improved waste management. Rising Urbanization and Emissions Mira Bhayandar has seen a 50% increase in built-up areas since 2005, with urban ...
Why Some Communities Resist Climate Relocation Despite Rising Risks

Why Some Communities Resist Climate Relocation Despite Rising Risks

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Cecilia has lived in Carahatas, a coastal village in Cuba, her entire life. Even as scientists predict that parts of her hometown may be underwater within 50 years due to rising sea levels, she refuses to leave. Like many locals, she believes her community can cope with climate change and flooding, despite government plans to gradually relocate residents to higher ground. Carahatas is not alone. Across the world, communities face increasingly extreme weather events, including droughts, heat waves, landslides, floods, hurricanes, and tropical storms. While governments and experts often propose relocation as a solution, many people refuse to move. Why do they stay despite the risks? A recent study led by Université de Montréal architecture professor Gonzalo Lizarralde sheds light on th...
Climate Change to Cause Over 2.3 Million Additional Heat-Related Deaths in Europe by 2099

Climate Change to Cause Over 2.3 Million Additional Heat-Related Deaths in Europe by 2099

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
A modelling study led by the Environment & Health Modelling (EHM) Lab at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) reveals alarming projections for the impact of climate change on temperature-related deaths across Europe. Published in Nature Medicine, the study predicts a substantial rise in deaths from heat, far outweighing any reduction in cold-related fatalities. Without immediate action to reduce carbon emissions, climate change could result in over 2.3 million additional temperature-related deaths across 854 European cities by the end of this century. The Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and the Balkans are identified as particularly vulnerable areas, with major cities like Barcelona, Rome, and Madrid expected to bear the brunt of this crisis. Adaptat...