“Significant areas of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region are retreating at an alarming rate,” according to a study recently published by the Observer Research foundation. The report Retreating Glaciers and Water Flows in the Himalayas: Implications for Governance,  authored by Anjal Prakash, research director at the Bharti Institute for Public Policy, Indian […]

Ever heard of the boiling frog? A chilling myth used to illustrate how creatures (including humans) tend to ignore slowly worsening dangers until it’s too late.  It describes a frog failing to perceive the danger of slowly heated water as it boils to death, unlike the frog thrown in boiled water that jumps right out. […]

July 3, 2023 was declared as the hottest day globally ever recorded, according to climate scientists, based on data from the US government’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction. The average worldwide temperature on Monday was recorded at 17.01°C, surpassing the all-time high record of 16.92°C, which was reported in August 2016. According to latest analysis, […]

“Safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India” – this is the ambitious mission statement of the current Indian government’s flagship water management programme, Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). The scheme is a continuation of the previous government’s National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP). With hotly […]

Impacts   Research   Witness   /  Extreme Weather /  Slow onset disasters Assuming a future population of 9.5 billion people, India would have the greatest population, more than 600 million, exposed at 2.7°C global warming. At 1.5°C, this figure would be far lower, at about 90 million.

The Los Angeles winter wildfires have sent shockwaves across the world, so far claiming 24 lives and displacing over a lakh people. Unfavourable weather conditions continue to fuel a fresh round of forest fires for the seventh consecutive day since January 7. Forecasters are afraid there will be no respite in the coming days, as […]

A new study revealed that emerging economies would face challenges in improving their living standards while stabilising their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in a bid to meet net-zero goals. The 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recently culminated with nearly 200 nations pledging to combat the escalating […]

On February 7, television channels and mobile devices were inundated with dramatic images of a flash flood caused by a possible glacier collapse in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. A swollen Dhauli Ganga river gave way, causing massive destruction, killing 37 people (at the time of publishing, with 168 people still missing) and washing away […]

India records excess Pre-Monsoon Season 2023, gives heatwave a miss The pre-Monsoon season for the country ended with surplus rainfall to the tune of 12% of the Long Average Period (LPA). All three months (March-May) have recorded excess rainfall countrywide. Data Source: IMD (Rainfall figures in mm) While the majority rainfall contribution came from Central […]

Hottest February shatters record, India gears up for intense heatwaves aheadIndia witnessed the hottest February since 1901, with average maximum temperature peaking at 29.54°C. This was higher by 1.7°C in comparison to the normal average temperature of 27.8°C. Average minimum temperature for February, 2023 also settled above the normal by 1.3°C and was the fifth […]

The world witnessed an unprecedented spurt in average global daily temperature above the critical threshold of 2°Celsius over pre-industrial levels (1850-1900 average) on 18th and 19th November. Largely attributed to high concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the ongoing El Nino phenomenon, such temporary breaches in daily temperatures may not be an immediate […]

The onset month of the Monsoon season, June, ended with deficit rainfall to the tune of 10% of the LPA (Long Period Average). The countrywide cumulative rainfall during June 1-30 was recorded at 148.6 mm against the normal average of 165.3 mm. Out of the four meteorological sub-divisions, Northwest India was the only region to […]

India’s vulnerability to extremes of heat in 2019 was 15% higher than in 1990, according to the ‘Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change’, a flagship report of The Lancet. It provides periodic updates on the relationship between climate change and public health. It also revealed that India is one of the five countries with […]

It was a sultry September evening, when we sat down with 59-year-old Palayam, a fisherman from Chennai, whose family has depended on the seas for a living for over five generations. Though diminutive in appearance, Palayam’s rough hands and lined face offer a glimpse into his hard life at sea. His grim countenance however lights […]