Tracking methane emissions for mitigation
Methane-monitoring satellites that zoom in on sources of the climate-warming gas show that landfills contributed to more than 25% of methane emissions in Mumbai and 6% in Delhi. In Pune,…
After little success in past, India revisits plan to repower its ageing wind turbines
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the Indian government has now come forward with its latest draft policy, aimed at repowering old and low-performing wind turbines to maximise…
Climate change threatens the habitat of the endangered white-winged wood duck, finds study
Alarm bells ring for the white-winged wood duck (WWWD). Declared the state bird of Assam in 2003, the on-ground conservation situation of the bird has not improved in recent years.…
Inhaling particulate matter is increasing the prevalence of anaemia among women of reproductive age
Meeting India’s clean air and energy goals could substantially reduce anaemia prevalence among women of reproductive age, according to a study that links exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to…
Soaring temperatures, black carbon impact glaciers in Drass region of Ladakh
The glaciers in the western Himalayas, source of water for Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, have been melting at a significant rate due to the growing amount of black carbon aerosol…
How ecotourism in Konkan promotes climate-friendly tourism
The Konkan region, along India’s west coast, has been a tourist attraction for several years now. Nestled between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, this region has beaches, waterfalls,…
Health effects of heat stress will intensify disproportionately without ambitious efforts
“When you switch the fan on, the air inside the room blows like fire,” 50-year-old Dolena Khatoon says with an emphasis on the word aagun which means ‘fire’ in the…
The potential of Kashmir’s springs for climate resilience
Noora walks past the Astan Nag, a local spring located in Burzhama area of Srinagar in Kashmir. She pauses for a while and starts walking towards the spring. Visiting it…
As stronger storms hit, farmers in Bangladesh struggle to pay agricultural loans
When the super cyclone Amphan made landfall in Bangladesh in May 2020, 55,000 houses were destroyed in the country. Wasim Ali, 45, lived in one of them. The tidal surge…
Reconstructing 90-year-long rainfall history in northeast India using tea garden records
Famed for its tea, Assam’s tea garden records are giving scientists a glimpse into past rainfall changes in northeast India, plagued by scattered and spotty historical rainfall data. For 12…
The reality of saving young mangroves in the Sundarbans
A 700 to 800 metres stretch of mangroves to the west of Pakhiraloy ferry ghat on an island in the Indian Sundarbans, part of a plantation project in 2020, was…
Urgency brews to foreground loss and damage at COP27
“With the increase in frequency and intensity of cyclones, and the seas getting rougher, the fishing time has reduced, thereby reducing profits,” says Pradip Chatterjee, national convenor of the National…
Farming becomes tough in Himachal’s cold desert with changing climate and crop pattern
The summer of 2022 was unkind for the 30-odd farmers of Tandi village in Himachal Pradesh’s cold desert. Over 50% of their crops in the village in Lahaul and Spiti…
Climate change could impact India’s renewable energy potential over the next 50 years
The expanse and success of wind energy in India is concentrated in a few states because of the commercial viability and favourable wind and climate conditions they offer. About 95…
Nepal’s rice farmers brace for loss following lack of timely rains and fertilisers
The fertile plains in southern Nepal is known as the country’s rice bowl. Thousands of farmers here are currently facing a double whammy of a fertiliser shortage and inadequate monsoon…
[Commentary] Scope for more nuanced reporting by media on the Brahmaputra river basin
The Yarlung Tsangpo-Brahmaputra-Jamuna River Basin (BRB) embraces the unique geography of the Hindu Kush Himalayas, from high altitude Tibet Autonomous region to flood plains in Assam (India) and Bangladesh. The…
Parliamentary discussions related to climate change are largely missing in India, finds study
“Every time, the story is one-sided. Politicians often use ‘climate change’ as an excuse (in disasters),” climate scientist Roxy Mathew Koll said to a clique of legislators in the coastal…
Can MGNREGS work as a social protection scheme for women in heat-stressed areas?
Bhavana Devi, or Bhuri, as she is known by people in the village of Kerpura in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district, cheerfully opens the rusted iron doors to her home. Sunlight streams…
Karnataka sets green goals but denotifies two-thirds of its forest land in plot twist
In early May 2022, the Karnataka government announced its plan to denotify two-thirds of its deemed forest land. As part of this, 6.64 lakh hectares of forest out of 9.94…
Successful model of development in tandem with mangrove restoration
A model for an effective melange of mangrove conservation and development has emerged in a new study along the coast of the western state of Gujarat in India, which offers…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- Marine plastic pollution is not just a waste problem; reducing production is needed too
- Stitching sustainability amidst climate change challenges
- Gujarat bans exotic Conocarpus tree amid health and environment hazard
- Malaria-carrying mosquitoes shift homes from forests to rice fields
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Majuli’s shrinking wetlands and their fight for survival
- Saving India’s wild ‘unicorns’
- Indrella ampulla’s genetic tapestry unveils colour morphs isolated across the Palghat Gap
- [Commentary] Up close and personal with the fragility of the Himalayas
Beyond Protected Areas
- New rules spell giant troubles for jumbos
- Climate litigation has entered the room. But could great Indian bustards be inched out?
- The dietary habits of endangered vultures
- Waterbirds adapt to nest and roost in the urban oases of Udaipur
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Pricey guests: Urban invasive species cost the world billions every year
- [Commentary] GROW with agroforestry, a step towards sustainable land management
- Millet tradition loses flavour among Madhya Pradesh’s tribals
- A village nurtures traditional food systems in response to climate change
Just Transitions
- How unplanned coal mine closures in India are affecting dependent communities, especially women
- Green Credit Scheme’s ‘methodology’ doesn’t inspire confidence among experts
- Conflict over critical mineral prospecting in Odisha signals need for better community involvement
- Fuel leak in Manipur raises concerns over water contamination
