On 6 February, 2023 Southern Turkey and the adjoining areas in Syria were hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake followed by several aftershocks. The tremors have flattened buildings and destroyed roads and other infrastructure. At least 35,000 casualties (UPDATE) have occurred across Turkey and Syria, with the vast majority being in the former nation. A news report cited the Turkish environment minister saying that 24,921 buildings across the region had collapsed. What...

-Down to Earth Veteran environmentalist spoke to Down To Earth about the ongoing disaster in Uttarakhand   Since the past one week, a major tragedy has been unfolding in the high Himalayas of Uttarakhand. The historic temple town of Joshimath, the gateway to the shrine of Badrinath, has been witnessing scenes of panic and anger as locals protest the cracks in the area. From houses to temples to commercial establishments, nothing has...

It is evident from various studies (please click here, here and here to access) that emission of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) by the developed as well as the developing countries is responsible for climate change, thus causing extreme weather events to occur, with much more ferocity than in the past. The negative impact of climate change may or may not be felt in the geographical location where historically emission has taken...

-The Hindu The scientists in the institute have identified a few locations in the higher reaches of Uttarakhand for “densification” of seismometers and river gauges to take the total number to 100 from 60. The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has begun field studies to put in place an early-warning system in the Himalayan States against major and sudden floods, rockslides, landslips, glacier lake...

-Hindustan Times At the crucial climate conference, world leaders aim to discuss climate finance and the Paris Agreement. Three times more people are displaced by climate disasters than war, United Nations chief António Guterres said at the crucial COP27 conference in Egypt on Monday as the global body sounded “early warnings" for the world. With half of humanity living in danger zones, he underlined, "ever-rising greenhouse gas emissions are supercharging extreme weather...