A winter drought is ravaging crops in Pakistan's breadbasket, farmers said Thursday, with the region parched by a 40 percent drop in rainfall. Sindh, Pakistan's most urbanised province located in the south, witnessed rainfall 52 percent below normal levels according to the PMD, while Balochistan in the west saw a 45 percent drop.
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The Purple line metro project in Kolkata has received clearance from the Central Empowered Committee to transplant 691 trees on the Maidan. This allows Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd to proceed with constructing key underground stations and structures. After delays due to tree conservation orders, work for the Purple line’s underground section will resume at full pace.
Armed with a slingshot, Taiwanese bounty hunter Wu Cheng-hua bends sideways and aims his lethal weapon up at a green iguana, one of tens of thousands in the crosshairs of a government cull. Hunters are required to euthanise the iguanas and keep them in a freezer until they can be incinerated by the government.
January this year was the warmest on record globally since 1850, with surface air temperatures 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Despite La Nina conditions, January temperatures remained exceptionally high. Arctic sea ice reached its lowest extent for January, with Antarctic sea ice also significantly below average, highlighting alarming climate trends.
Greenpeace activists boarded a tanker off South Korea on Saturday in an action intended to draw attention to calls for a treaty to curb plastic pollution, the environmental group said. Attempts to reach an agreement on curbing plastic pollution have stalled over several key sticking points, including whether to cut new plastic production.
A severe heatwave is scorching western and central India, with Barmer reaching a record 46.4°C. Numerous locations are experiencing heatwave to severe heatwave conditions, prompting warnings from the IMD. This extreme heat has triggered a surge in electricity demand, driven by increased air conditioner usage, further straining the power grid and raising concerns about emissions and future cooling needs.
2024 recorded the warmest year in India since 1901, with an average temperature of 25.75°C, surpassing 2016's previous record. Global temperatures also rose, marking 2024 as the hottest year globally. For January, the IMD forecasts slightly above-normal rainfall and warmer temperatures across most regions but anticipates colder nights in Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh.
India's tiger territory has expanded by 30% between 2006 and 2018, covering over 1.4 lakh sq km, even within densely populated human areas. This success underscores the potential for wildlife-human coexistence and emphasizes the importance of protecting core regions for continued conservation.
Civil society groups and academics urged governments Thursday to take actual steps toward fulfilling a stalled pledge to end deforestation before this year's UN climate summit in the Brazilian Amazon. "In 2025, governments must take bold action to get on track," the coalition of nearly 40 non-governmental organisations, think-tanks and forest research bodies said in a document outlining policy proposals.
Global temperatures soared to historic highs in March, continuing an unprecedented heat streak that challenges scientific understanding. Europe experienced its hottest March ever, leading to extreme rainfall variations. The world marked its second-hottest March, sustaining record-breaking temperatures since July 2023, with scientists noting the persistent anomaly and its link to human-caused climate change.
A study by IIM-Lucknow and IMT-Ghaziabad highlights the challenges India’s small- and medium-sized steel enterprises (SMEs) face due to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). While large firms may adapt, SMEs struggle with financial and technological constraints, leading to unequal decarbonisation. The study urges the EU to support SMEs via technology transfers and capacity-building to ensure fair climate policies. It also warns of trade complexities and stresses global... Expand