Environment Explained News

All the what, why and how of the environment, explained. In this series, we break down complex concepts of the natural world into simple, easy-to-digest explainers. With our expertise in environment and conservation, we guide you through aspects of the topic that you are curious about and help you make sense of the news around you.

What is non-economic loss and damage? [Explainer]

Priyanka Shankar 20 Oct 2025

Image shows a bush with purple flowers

[Explainer] Mass flowering and why some plants bloom and die together

Priya Ranganathan 29 Dec 2022

Image shows green mountains

[Explainer] Wastelands or grasslands? India’s history with defining open ecosystems

Mahima Jain 6 Dec 2022

Chennai city flooded after Cyclone Nivar in 2020.

[Explainer] What is Loss and Damage?

Mahima Jain 31 Oct 2022

Greenwashing protest

[Explainer] What is greenwashing?

Anusha Krishnan 10 Oct 2022

Image shows a woody climber twisting around a tree in a forest

[Explainer] Woody climbers, lianas, embody the inter-connectedness of a forest

Geetha Iyer 20 Sep 2022

[Explainer] What is biodiversity finance?

Anusha Krishnan 13 Sep 2022

[Explainer] Why do floods occur?

Anusha Krishnan 17 Aug 2022

[Explainer] What’s causing mass fish death in India’s ponds and lakes?

Ananya Vyas 19 Jul 2022

Image shows a bus

[Explainer] Are biofuels finally coming of age?

Anusha Krishnan 13 Jul 2022

[Illustrations] Why are temperatures within a city’s neighbourhoods different?

Alisha Vasudev 6 Jul 2022

[Explainer] Can planting trees mitigate climate change?

Anusha Krishnan 5 Jul 2022

[Explainer] The good, the bad, and the ugly side of forest fires

Anusha Krishnan 29 Jun 2022

[Explainer] How are fireflies affected by light pollution?

Shreya Sharma 22 Jun 2022

[Explainer] What are carbon sinks?

Anusha Krishnan 15 Jun 2022

[Explainer] Why is India a major hub for wildlife trafficking?

Anusha Krishnan 8 Jun 2022

Image shows a black and white image of cyclone Bhola

[Explainer] What are tropical cyclones? How are they formed?

Phalguni Ranjan 1 Jun 2022

The vast expanse of roiling grey clouds advances from the Arabian sea and makes landfall in Kerala, around the first week of June, kickstarting the southwest monsoon season. Photo by Anoop Joy/ Flickr.

[Explainer] How does the Indian monsoon develop?

Anusha Krishnan 30 May 2022

[Explainer] What is carbon pricing?

Anusha Krishnan 18 May 2022

[Explainer] What factors affect the Indian summer monsoon?

Anusha Krishnan 29 Apr 2022

[Explainer] What are urban heat islands?

Anusha Krishnan 13 Apr 2022

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