The World Bank has warned that global temperatures could rise by four degrees this century without immediate action, with potentially devastating consequences for coastal cities and the poor.
The climate change talks held under the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) in Geneva in February resulted in an important 86-page negotiating text. This text is a
India battles uncertain monsoon due to El Nino this season and uncertainty is the bane of Indian agriculture sector. The policy makers and planners need to have long term plans for a country that i
The 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) will be held from November 30 to December 11 this year in Paris where governments of more than190 countries will meet to clinch a possible gl
Climate change is a complex problem, which, although environmental in nature, has consequences for all spheres of existence on our planet. It either impacts on-- or is impacted by-- global issues,
More than the debate on who would take the Oscars home, it was a Twitter hashtag – ‘OscarsSoWhite’ – that acted as a prologue to the Academy Awards. The hashtag came as an i
Dr Hoesung Lee was elected the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in October last year in Dubovnik. He replaced RK Pachauri who headed the panel for 13 years and w
Late in his presidency, Barack Obama looks at the future and finds climate change as the most worrisome factor – and he is also worried about drought, famine and “displacement from the
It’d be truism to say that the world of the future is being shaped right now. Which are the big factors that can help figure out what would be the shape of things to come? Harinder S Kohli, f
A new reconstruction of Antarctic ocean temperatures around the time the dinosaurs disappeared 66 million years ago supports the idea that one of the planet`s biggest mass extinctions was due
After cruising on the Yamuna Expressway for over an hour, I reach Runakta, a small village on the outskirts of Agra city. Here, I was told, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has creat
A new research supported by international development research centre (IDRC) has shown that peri-urban areas lose access to their water sources due to growing urbanisation. The research was
At COP 21 in Paris, parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reached a landmark agreement to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions a
A UN human rights expert has issued a strong statement accusing the US security forces of using “increasingly militarised response” against North Dakota pipeline protestors, and called
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in independent analyses, have declared 2016 the hottest year since 1880. Sci
Heard of Rakhigarhi? It is a village in Hisar district of Haryana, some 150 km away from Delhi. To some it might look like a dull and not-so-striking village. But archaeologists and scienti
Was the finding of summer rain and crops around the year your ‘exclusive’? Scholars have long argued that the Indus Civilisation develop
In 2050 the USA and China would each have contributed around 16 percent of global cumulative emissions, while India’s share will be a mere eight percent even though it would be the se
By announcing America`s withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement, President Donald Trump has turned the US into a rogue state among 200 countries that have given a commitment to act to re
‘Connecting People to Nature’, is the theme for this year’s World Environment Day that falls on June 5, every year. The theme implores us to go outdoors and experience nature &n
At a time (Mid-November) when the national capital was engulfed in thick smog, public health experts from Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and other parts of the globe were in Delhi to attend
In his justly praised speech at the World Economic Forum at Davos, prime minister Narendra Modi highlighted three among the numerous threats to our shared future: climate change, terrorism and prot
A shocking sight greets the visitor in Rishikesh: At the main ghat, the Ganga spans no more than 10 feet with less than a foot in depth. A larger stream, though, flows on the other side, in full
A building comes up based on a plan, which is based on discussions among the client, the architect and the builder. Can they draw a blueprint without basic information like measurements of land,
Climate change is for real. And the recent Kerala floods and the deepening farm crisis make this a dreadful phenomenon for India. IMD chief KJ Ramesh talks about how well- or ill-prepared the c
The government has said that state-run BHEL and Libcoin are in talks to form a world class consortium to initially build 1 GWh (Gigawatt hours) lithium ion battery plant in India. The plant’s
When considering climate change, one of the greatest threats before the humanity, discussions usually focus on air and water, but land too is affected by and in turn affects global warming as much
Scheduling irrigation, constructive use of water, proper crop selection and utilising modern irrigation technologies will help enhance water security while also ensuring a high agricultural product
Addressing the Conference of Parties (COP14) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that India would raise its target o
The time for talking is over; the world needs to act now. That was the message prime minister Narendra Modi delivered at the Climate Action Summit 2019 during 74th session of UNGA in New York.
India has been among the countries most affected by climate change, and ranks high on the Climate Risk Index prepared by researchers at NGO Germanwatch. The index for 2019, publishe
At a conclave titled ‘Climate Crisis - Action for Tropical Coastal Cities’, organized by Mumbai First last week, stakeholders came together for two days to discuss risk management in co
Home. One word with so many connotations. For urban poor women, shelter is the answer to a wide range of problems, and the single solution to a better future. For the women working in the informal
Fahmidaben’s father was a labourer and mother a maid. She had three sisters and one brother. When the gas tragedy struck Bhopal in 1984, the family was among those affected. When a gas tank b
Following is the rendering in English of Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s inaugural address during the webcast of ‘Colaba Conversation 2021: Creativity, Community and C
Now that we’re here: The Future of Everything By Akshay Tyagi and Akshat Tyagi Penguin, 336 pages, Rs 299 How do you prepare for a
Raising concerns over rising seawater levels and climate change, Mumbai First, a 25-year-old public-private partnership policy think tank, has written letters to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav T
Kalidasa’s Meghaduta: The Cloud Messenger Translated by Abhay K. Bloomsbury / 114 pages / Rs 399 ‘Meghduta’, a &lsq
From Sunday, October 31st, 25,000 people from 200 countries, including more than 100 world leaders, are meeting in Glasgow, UK, for the 26th session of the Conference of Parties, popularly called C
India has made overhauling commitment in the ongoing COP 26 at Glasgow, where it sets the deadline for becoming net zero emitter by 2070. This shows India’s resolute approach for combating cl
The Union Budget 2022-23 will be presented on February 1, amidst the third COVID-19 wave. After the two waves of the pandemic, the GDP for FY 21 contracted by 7.3% but following a V-shaped recovery
The government aims to attain the vision of promoting energy transition and climate action during the “Amrit kaal”. While presenting the Union Budget 2022-23 in Parliament Tuesday, Fina
Being a diplomat is a fulltime job, in which Abhay K., an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, spends most of his working hours. Like all diplomats and indeed the rest of us, he manages to make ti
At the COP26 Climate Change Summit, held in November 2021, India pledged to become a net-zero carbon emission country by 2070. Hence, the expectations from the union budget to nudge India towards a
India is likely to be the most impacted country by the effects of climate change and the most impacted large country.The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change (2021) outlines speed
On April 4, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its 6th Assessment Report that discusses its findings to mitigate the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The report
At a time when climate change, preservation of nature and ecological balance and reducing fertilizers and chemicals in agriculture and food are drawing huge attention, a forest village in Maharasht
Even as the Congress has moved the Supreme Court alleging cost escalation in Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project-II (MSDP-II), the BrihanMumbai municipal corporation (BMC) has gone ahead and issued work
While many countries have been chasing to reach the carbon neutral status, only a few seem to be living up to their pledges as of now. The famous ’Paris Agreement’ of 2015 was glorified
India is the fifth-largest automotive market in the world and will have about 400 million customers in need of mobility solutions by 2030. With the government emphasizing an accelerated transition
India stands committed to reduce Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 percent from the 2005 level by 2030 and achieve about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil f
A good monsoon has left the trees all washed and spruced up. It’s right time to take a good look at them, and also to tell the young generation about their diversity. So, tree lovers across t
India recorded extreme weather events on 242 of the 273 days by September 30 this year. In other words, more than 88% of the time over these nine months, the country was witnessing an extreme weath
As the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) was launched on the sidelines of the COP27 at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, India’s environment minister Bhupender Yadav expressed commitment to the conse
As many as 178 species of birds have been recorded in Nagaland by 18 eBirders during a first-of-its-kind event over four days this month. They have also uploaded 84 checklists to eB
Plastic is arguably the most ubiquitous material of our times. In this Age of Plastic, it might seem its use can’t go up any further – and yet it keeps going. Between 2000 and 2015, glo
Climate change is a global crisis that is only becoming bigger by the day. Any action to mitigate the effects of global warming and pollution is made difficult by the obvious conundrum: when all na
India has reiterated that it stands committed to reduce Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, from 2005 level (as per the updated NDC submitted to UNFCCC in August 2022) and to achi
The union cabinet on Wednesday approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The initial outlay for the Mission will be Rs.19,744 crore, including an outlay of Rs.17,490 crore for the Strategic Int
The union power ministry has devised a multi-pronged strategy to ensure adequate availability of power during the upcoming summer months. Power minister R.K. Singh chaired a review meeting on Tuesd
While the average growth of energy requirement in the country for 2023-24 viz-a-viz 2022-23 has been estimated as 4.9%, the months of April and May have been projected as high demand period. During
India’s climate actions cut across various sectors and are being implemented through various programs and schemes of different union ministries, departments and state/ union territory governm
MADE IN INDIA: 75 Years of Business and Enterprise By Amitabh Kant Rupa, 240 pages Rs 595 Seventy-five years after India attained freedom at
Access to Information Digital libraries have played a significant role in making environmental information more accessible to people worldwide. The Clim
The 3rd ECSWG (environment and climate sustainability working group) meeting is being held during May 21-23. The meeting is being kicked off with a G20 Mega Beach Clean-Up on Sunday in Mumbai at Ju
The ongoing third Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group G20 meeting (May 21-23) has focused on three aspects: land degradation and reclamation of mining areas, Blue Economy and susta
In a major decision, the Government has decided to grant waiver of ISTS charges to Off-Shore Wind Projects and extend the waiver to Green Hydrogen/Green Ammonia. This decision has been taken to fac
Climate change rising temperature and sea levels are posing new risks for coastal cities. With population growth rate of 1%- 2% in India every year, Mumbai too is growing and is population will dou
In the face of pressing environmental challenges, sustainability has become a critical focus for global development. Education plays a vital role in equipping individuals with the knowledge and ski
India has the potential to be a Green Hydrogen exporter, minister of state (independent charge) science & technology Dr Jitendra Singh has said. Addressing the International Conf
The information below was given by union minister of state for environment, forest and climate change Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
After more than four decades of global leaders` united statement in 1987 to define the future as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future ge
Marginlands: Indian Landscape on the Brink By Arati Kumari-Rao Picador India, 256 pages, Rs 699
India`s tryst with trade through the Arctic regions, including the Northern Sea Routes (NSR), has become an impact-making endeavor recently. The Arctic of yore is now a pivot – point of geopo
Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence By Poorva Joshipura HarperCollins, 328 pages, Rs 499 With science n
Air pollution in Delhi has been in headlines, as every year in recent times. Mumbai too has suffered from air pollution, despite being a coastal city. Apart from many other metros such as Bangalore
Impacts and implications of Climate Change Vulnerability in the Himalayan Region and ways of creating ‘Climate Resilient Development in Indian Himalayan Region by making mountain communities
The ministry of environment, forest and climate change has sanctioned projects to assess impact of air pollution on human health in 20 selected cities across the country under the National Environm
In 2024, readers can look forward to selected writings of two of the pre-eminent intellectuals of our times, Sudhir Kakar and Upendra Baxi. Also on offer are essays by S. Jaishankar, a collection o
As part of climate action, the Indian Railways aims to achieve achieve Mission Net Zero Carbon Emission by 2030. To support this goal, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between In
With largest coal-based thermal power fleet and automobile manufacturing and the third largest number of factories directly dependent on fossil fuels in the country, Maharashtra accounts for 10% of
Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist of World Health Organisation (WHO), has said that more than pandemic, climate change is the concern to respect not only for our health but our very existe
