--Press release by Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights dated 20th October, 2021 GENEVA (20 October 2021) – Water is increasingly being treated as a mere commodity and even as a financial asset, a UN human rights expert told the UN General Assembly today, undermining the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation and the sustainability of the environment. Pedro Arrojo Agudo, the Special Rapporteur on the...

-Scroll.in With growing evidence on the transboundary nature of climate risks, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive regional risk governance framework. In the space of three months in early 2021, two glacial lakes in Uttarakhand burst their banks, with tragic consequences for mountain communities and ecosystems. In February, a glacier lake breach caused flash floods that surged through the Rishiganga River. At least 61 people were killed and around 143...

-Down to Earth Between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of humid tropical forests have been cleared since the early 1990s  Tropical forests are losing their capacity to cycle carbon and water, according to a study using a new tracking system. The system was developed by a team of international scientists to monitor tropical forest vulnerability between 1982 and 2018.  In Africa, forests show relative resilience to climate, according to the study. African...

-Down to Earth Shoreline armouring can increase damages by $723 million for a single flood event Sea-level rise due to climate change has threatened millions of lives and exacerbated infrastructure costs in building embankments and seawalls. These flood-protection constructions, however, heighten the risks of flooding and cost greater financial damages, according to a new report. "Protection of individual shoreline segments (5 to 75 kilometres) can increase flooding in other areas by as much...

-TheWire.in Natural farming is a type of organic farming, based on the elimination of chemical inputs and use of locally available resources to reduce farmers' input costs and make agriculture remunerative. We need to fix agriculture in India – our current system is exploitative for both our farmers and the environment. Today, nearly all public spending in agriculture goes to support input-intensive practices that have only deepened the crisis. As we are...