Category: Environment

The Himalaya are approaching a tipping point ​as glaciers melt faster than a decade ago, threatening ‌water security as the region approaches “peak water“ ​by mid-century, according to a study ⁠released this month. The findings come after the collapse of a Himalayan glacier in late August along the Nepal-Tibet border, ‌which caused cascading landslides and...

The synchronous mass flowering and subsequent die-off of bamboo across forest landscapes can trigger a chain of ecological shocks — from invasive weed outbreaks and intense wildfires to rodent population explosions and spikes in human-elephant conflict, a study by Dr. T.V. Sajeev of the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, Thrissur, Keralam, has warned. Published...

The wake of the August 26 flash floods in Nepal, which devastated several towns and villages, killed more than a thousand people, and left several more unaccounted for, follows a familiar pattern that emerged after the Chamoli floods, the South Lhonak Lake disaster, and the Thame floods: a call to rethink development in the region...

Ko ​Myeong-hyo loved the vibrant colour and thriving life of South Korea‘s soft corals when she first began diving off the coast of Jeju island six years ‌ago, looking to harvest seafood for sale. “Watching the coral garden collapse and turn white, it was so ​disorienting,” Ko says now, after two years of rising temperatures...

On August 26, devastating flash floods swept across Nepal’s mountains, killing over 1,300 and laying waste to whole towns and villages. As a warming climate destabilises Himalayan glaciers, the glaciers themselves are influencing how much carbon dioxide (CO2) is released into the atmosphere, driving global warming. The Indian plate continues to push into the Eurasian...

Thanks to its unusual appearance, preference for decaying meat, and nocturnal activities, the Indian striped hyena is a tragically misunderstood animal. Estimates suggest there are around 5,000 to 14,000 striped hyenas worldwide of which some 1,000 to 3,000 are in India — possibly one of the largest groups in any country. These estimates are a...

From the musical whistles of a red-whiskered bulbul to the mechanical whirr of a barn swallow song, there is an incredible diversity to avian music. But according to a new study by researchers from France and the U.S., this vast diversity comes from just eight building blocks. Researchers analysed more than one lakh song recordings...

On April 30, 2025, Bibhash Bormedhi looked on as a tonne of waste left Majuli on a boat across the Brahmaputra river. This was a first for the world’s largest river island. “This was the first time the waste from Majuli crossed the Brahmaputra, instead of being dumped into the river,” Mr. Bormedhi, Project Manager...

There is a word in the Nicobarese language that translates into “a calm sea”. Tamra, today, is however only used by the islands’ elders and is at risk of fading away from their language forever. As seasons go awry, species go extinct, and livelihoods change, words and phrases in several Indian languages are at the precipice of...

Tropical cyclones that originate near the Equator, while being devastating, have been unusually subdued in recent decades. The last major cyclone of this kind in the Indian neighbourhood was the 2017 Cyclone Okchi which devastated Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. However, a combination of global warming and a cyclical event called the Pacific Decadal...