A recent study by scientists indicates that the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region is experiencing increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events due to climate change, including rapid glacial melting and changing rainfall patterns. However, the research also cautions against solely blaming climate change, highlighting that human factors like population growth, commercial activities, and non-enforcement of regulations contribute significantly to the vulnerability and impact of these disasters. The study points out that many devastating floods originate from small glaciers and rain-fed streams, exacerbated by encroachment on unstable slopes and floodplains.
A World Cup game between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia is at risk due to extreme heat and humidity, linked to climate change and fossil fuel use. A heat dome over the U.S. and Canada has pushed temperatures beyond safe play recommendations, raising concerns about player safety and future tournament scheduling.
Climate experts explain how El Nino and climate change are intricately linked, with El Nino delaying monsoon onset and climate change intensifying rainfall. This new reality is altering the Indian monsoon's behaviour, leading to short-duration, high-intensity rain spells, especially in western and northwestern regions.
Nepal's devastating flash floods have claimed 1,127 lives, with thousands still missing a week after the disaster. Rescuers are intensifying efforts to find survivors and recover bodies across affected regions, while police work to identify victims and relocate families from high-risk areas.
'People told me to go back to school and leave climate issues to adults. But if adults had done their job, I wouldn't be here protesting.' At just 14, climate activist Licypriya Kangujam says children are paying the price for a crisis they did not create, while governments continue to make promises without delivering meaningful change.
Window for fast marathons closing because of climate change, report finds
The head of the UN's climate science panel, Jim Skea, has expressed concern over the accelerating pace of climate impacts, saying scientists have been surprised by the speed of temperature rise. Skea attributed the worsening situation to inaction on climate change and highlighted the need for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He also addressed concerns about the scientific messaging and the perception of imposed climate policies, emphasizing the importance of involving societies and people in climate change action.
Frequent weather shocks caused by climate change pose challenges for the monetary policy as well as downside risks to economic growth, a Reserve Bank report said. Global average temperatures are on a rise, with accompanying increase in extreme weather events (EWE), and the economic and social impact of global warming is becoming increasingly evident, said RBI's Monetary Policy Report - April 2024. The report said that climate change has increased the frequency and ferocity of weather shocks, posing challenges for monetary policy.
Nepal has launched a diplomatic initiative to secure climate-related compensation from major greenhouse gas emitters, asserting that post-disaster assistance for recent deadly flash floods should be viewed as a moral and legal liability, not charity. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal highlighted Nepal's disproportionate suffering from global warming despite negligible emissions, citing rapid glacier melt and extreme mountain disasters. The country has formally approached the Loss and Damage Fund board for urgent financial aid following a catastrophic flash flood in the Bhotekoshi river basin.
A preliminary government report reveals that devastating flash floods in Nepal have affected over 32,000 people, caused 1,295 deaths, and severely damaged infrastructure including roads, bridges, schools, and healthcare facilities. Senior Nepali Congress leader Arjun Narsing KC has criticised the government's coordination of rescue and relief operations and called for international action on climate justice.
'We need to value lives and also put a value on our lives.'
The deadly landslides in Kerala's ecologically fragile Wayanad district were triggered by a heavy burst of rainfall, made 10 per cent heavier by climate change, according to a new rapid attribution study by a global team of scientists.
Following devastating flash floods in Nepal, experts are calling for systematic scientific assessments of glaciers to understand and mitigate hazards, alongside the development of a robust land use policy for the Himalayan region. The floods, which killed over 460 people and left thousands missing, are believed to be linked to climate change impacts on glaciers and permafrost.
'The trigger for the flood was definitely natural, but the damage that it caused was human-made.'
A scientist from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology highlights how climate change, including glacial retreat, shifting precipitation patterns, and rising nighttime temperatures, is exacerbating the risk of flash floods and landslides in the Himalayas, as seen in recent disasters in Nepal and Uttarakhand.
'If learning to read changed our brain in a good way and we gained remarkable knowledge that we shared with each other then, by the same logic, won't lack of reading also change our brain? Won't it reduce the valuable knowledge we acquire and share with each other,' asks reading coach Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta on National Reading Day.
Small and marginal farmers practising agriculture on rain-fed farms will bear the brunt of climate change
India should encourage the second coming of SAARC with climate change as an urgent agenda and keeping Indian security concerns in mind as the subtext, suggest Lieutenant General Ashok Joshi (retd) and Colonel Anil Athale (retd).
The Ministry of External Affairs reported that 275 Indians remain missing following devastating flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, while 166 others have been rescued. India has supplied 95 tonnes of relief material and deployed 54 personnel, including rescue and forensic experts, to assist Nepal. The death toll in Nepal has reached 1,295, with thousands still missing, and significant infrastructure damage reported. India has also highlighted the need for developed countries to lead in climate change action.
TeamLease EdTech Founder and CEO Shantanu Rooj states that the AI-driven world transition is irreversible, with regulation and cost being crucial factors determining its speed and depth. He emphasizes that while AI will transform jobs, not eliminate them, continuous learning, domain expertise, and adaptability will be key for individuals and businesses to thrive in this evolving landscape. Rooj also highlights the need for universities to adapt their curricula to prepare a future-ready workforce.
'There needs to be a monitoring of glaciers in high altitude areas and one needs to check regularly how geological changes are taking place.' 'We can mitigate that by regular monitoring but unfortunately, hardly any monitoring is happening.' 'And without monitoring those higher altitudes of Himalayas, people are suffering.'
The overwhelming feeling at the end of COP 27 was that despite decades of meetings and landmark accords, like the Paris Agreement, the world was still not doing enough to slow the climate crisis, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
A new study by IIT Kharagpur researchers, published in Nature Communications, reveals that urban growth patterns significantly influence future cooling demand in cities. The research highlights that a city's "thermal memory," shaped by decades of development decisions, impacts its heat burden and energy requirements, independent of global temperature rises. The study analysed 88 Indian cities and a global sample of 52 cities over two decades.
'When there is a change in the wind speed or the stress exerted on the surface, it will change the ocean currents.'
With climate change impacts worsening and affecting the poor and most vulnerable, governments urgently need to scale up adaptation
'Glaciers are melting all across the region.'
Pakistan's government is exploring measures, including potential smart lockdowns and austerity, to reduce petroleum consumption. This comes after recent fuel price hikes driven by rising global oil prices and West Asia tensions, which have also raised concerns about oil supply disruptions. The government is also implementing a fuel relief scheme and faces public pressure over the price increases.
The renowned Indian sand artist became the first Indian recipient of the Russia Grand Sand Master Cup 2026.
A new study reveals that extreme climate hazards, typically associated with higher levels of global warming, could occur even under a moderate warming of 2 degrees Celsius, posing significant threats to food production, forests, and urban areas.
A report authored by UN's panel of scientists from across the world on climate change and sent to the governments of 197 countries has ominous news on the climate change front.
Climate change has hampered the ability of the forecasting agencies to accurately predict severe events and weather bureaus across the world are focusing on augmenting the observational network density and the weather prediction modelling to improve predictability, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has said.
The White House Press Secretary said the impacts of climate change on weather are severe.
Climate change has increased the likelihood of temperatures high enough to affect player performance at 97 of the 104 tournament matches.
India lost around 38.5 thousand hectares of tropical forest in the last decade. Nearly 14 per cent of the country's tree cover! It is one thing for Modi to announce that India will reach a net-zero level of emissions in 2070. But if it is serious, it needs to start today, points out Ramesh Menon.
The transmission of dengue is closely associated with three key factors -- rainfall, humidity and temperature -- that dictate the geographies in which it spreads and the transmission rate of the viral infection caused by the dengue virus (DENV), and transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes.
Nepal is grappling with the devastating aftermath of flash floods, with the death toll reaching 1,356 and nearly 5,000 people, including foreign nationals, still missing. Identification of bodies is a major challenge, with only a fraction identified so far. President Ramchandra Paudel has appealed for climate justice and national unity for relief efforts. International teams, including experts from India and China, are assisting in search and rescue, particularly at hydropower projects where workers are trapped. The country is also working to restore infrastructure and reassure tourists to protect its vital autumn tourism season.
Climate change will make monsoons unpredictable; as a result, rain-fed wheat cultivation in South Asia will suffer in a big way and the total cereal production will go down.
The Australian Conservation Foundation's Climate Change Program Manager Gavan McFadzean also said athletes need to step up.
The consequences of climate change will only grow more dire in the years to come, Obama warned.
