
Mongabay series: Flood and drought
Flood is an overflow of water, while a drought is a prolonged shortage of water. India witnesses both and sometimes, at the same time. Unusual rainfall patterns are becoming commonplace now and trigger disasters such as floods and droughts which are related to the timing of the rainfall, rather than the quantum of rainfall. From long dry spells to excessive rainfall, recent monsoons in India have been seasons of extremes. The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) AR6 predicts that south Asia, including India, will see more extreme weather events in the years to come. The Indian subcontinent could witness more heat extremes and droughts, as well as extreme rainfall events, it says. When weather patterns deviate from the norm, farmers, whose livelihoods are tied to predictable weather patterns, are among the many who bear the brunt. This in turn has ramifications for India’s food and water security. In this series, we will look at the trends of floods and droughts in India and the climate crisis that is exacerbating them.


New approach of Indian monsoon estimation to account for rainfall variations

As Bengaluru loses lakes, green cover, impact of urban floods takes a toll

Reconstructing 90-year-long rainfall history in northeast India using tea garden records

[Explainer] Why do floods occur?

A hope for climate-focused urban planning in Assam’s cities reeling from severe floods

Dual threat of drought-like conditions and flash floods puts Kashmir Valley’s food security at risk

Waterlogging pushes Haryana farmers to sell agricultural land, take up odd jobs

Plan adaptation and mitigation to factor in growing risk of compound extremes, study suggests

[Explainer] What is glacial lake outburst flooding and how does it affect the Himalayas?

New IPCC report connects the dots on climate change, biodiversity and human society

Environment factors push people out of their homes on India’s east coast, leaving behind ‘ghost villages’

Glaciers at Pangong in Ladakh retreated 6.7% since 1990, says recent research

Chennai’s fight to preserve its wetlands and stay above water

Planted forests can tackle flood and erosion impacts along the Brahmaputra

Extreme weather events and agriculture: what are the impacts and what’s in store?

Freely-available geospatial dataset to make flood research easier

[Interview] Chennai floods again after losing many blue and green spaces

Unseasonal rains take 79 lives in Uttarakhand, some experts link it to climate change

Extreme weather becomes the new normal in India’s main monsoon season
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
- As heatwaves projected to worsen across India, do vulnerability assessments and heat action plans suffice?
- Assam’s North Lakhimpur treats 40 years of legacy waste in just nine months
- Varying levels of microplastics detected in sea salt produced across India
- Decline in pollinators linked to half a million premature human deaths every year, shows study

Almost Famous Species
- The gharial attempts a second comeback with help from the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
- Understanding the role of local communities in the conservation of critically endangered rhino rays
- Citizen scientists help discover a blind catfish species hidden inside Kerala’s aquifers
- Flying is riskier for female katydids, finds India’s first insect radio telemetry study

Eco Hope
- [Interview] Conservation scientist Joli Rumi Borah on integrating traditional knowledge in research
- [Interview] Scientist Ruth DeFries on deforestation: There isn’t one driver, there’s a different context in different places
- India budgets for mangroves and wetlands
- Working with biomaterials to add to the sustainable energy mix

India's Iconic Landscapes
- Experts call for coexistence, sustainable development as tiger population is close to saturation
- Ain’t no mountain high enough: alien invasive plants increasing in higher elevations
- Unplanned, faulty buildings tremble under weather events in the fragile Himalayan regions
- Nourishing soils of Kashmir’s karewas crumble under infrastructure

Beyond Protected Areas
- Study finds how community-based conservation efforts influence mammal populations in Meghalaya
- Habitat loss due to tourism in the Western Ghats pushes endangered frogs to the edge
- Alligator gar fish found in Dal lake raises concerns
- The art and science of elephant whispering

Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- How a drought-prone village in Maharashtra attained agricultural success with millets
- Thirunelly’s seed festival celebrates traditional climate-resilient seeds and farm produce
- [Explainer] Why is 2023 the International Year of Millets? What do we achieve by celebrating such years?
- Nations adopt Global Biodiversity Framework amid concerns over watered-down targets

Just Transitions
- Bauxite mining in Jharkhand is impacting soil fertility, people’s health
- Incentives to boost demand, increase in e-buses in Tamil Nadu’s latest EV policy
- Electricity transition in India’s renewable-rich states needs to accelerate, says study
- [Interview] Ajay Kumar Rastogi on leading India’s first just transition task force
