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.
Climate change favours locust swarms, India increasingly at risk
Leverage improved forecast to deal with disasters
[Analysis] Cyclone Amphan puts focus back on millions displaced by climate disasters
Stepping up monsoon research for more data, improved forecast
[Photos] Home in Maharashtra, farm in Karnataka leaves flood victims nowhere
Extreme weather events causing most migration
Sikkim braces for climate extremes
Most forest fires in India on account of human activity
Memories of recent Kerala floods push students to ask for climate action
Study finds limited outreach of disaster-related mobile apps in India
A restored wetland brings hope to some in flood and drought prone Chennai
Nature’s fury 2019: A year of extremes for India
Restoring Chennai’s water bodies
As ‘climate emergency’ becomes the buzzword in Madrid, how will vulnerable countries deal with forced migration?
Delayed Indian monsoon, Cyclone Fani ‘high impact’ events of 2019
[Commentary] Cyclone Bulbul in the Indian Sundarbans: Another lesson on deltaic vulnerability and resilience
As the Brahmaputra swells, erosion-affected families await revised policy
Climate change threatens Wayanad’s agrarian and tourism prospects
Hills of peril: Southwest monsoon inflicts severe damage in the Nilgiris
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
- Pathogens find new pathways as agriculture, deforestation intensify
- Measuring the scavenging value of vultures
- New rules spell giant troubles for jumbos
- Climate litigation has entered the room. But could great Indian bustards be inched out?
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