A recent study published in The Lancet has provided evidence of the adverse economic impact of air pollution in India, an effect that comes alongside multiple negative health outcomes. The study, conducted by researchers from the Global Observatory on Pollution and Health at Boston College, the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the Public Health […]
climate change
Climate crisis: India earns high marks tackling it in CCPI
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) ranks India as one of the ten best performers on tackling the climate crisis for the second year in a row. The CCPI, released earlier this week, put India at tenth place out of 57 countries grouped together as collectively accounting for more than ninety percent of global greenhouse […]
Cyclone Nivar: Impact in India further evidence of the countries vulnerability to the effects of climate change
Cyclone Nivar has caused devastation, injuries and fatalities after making landfall in southern India where torrential rainfall has lashed coastal areas of the union territory of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu state. Despite the fact it eventually weakened into a severe cyclonic storm and had been pinpointed by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) as early as […]
Child health during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted manifold effects on society and health from all angles – including on child health. On this Universal Children’s Day, it is worthwhile assessing the impact. Telangana governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan pointed to child health earlier this week. She called for more attention to be paid to child health; as reported […]
Lightning strikes: An underreported crisis
A popular adage, if not cliché, is that lightning never strikes in the same place twice. However, in India, lightning strikes are increasing. Experts pinpoint climate change as the cause. An IndiaSpend analysis published earlier this week highlighted the issue. The report notes that the last four months alone have seen more than 200 deaths […]
Environmentalism in a time of COVID
Last year, Time magazine named Greta Thunberg their Person of the Year. The now-seventeen-year-old climate activist from Sweden has inspired a global movement, assuming the role of a bastion for environmentalism. Across the world, young people have protested for their future, for the future of their environment, and their planet – including in India. Thunberg […]
World Meteorological Day, water, and climate change
“World Meteorological Day,” the World Health Organization (WHO) explains, “takes place every year on 23 March and commemorates the coming into force on 23 March 1950 of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization. It showcases the essential contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to the safety and wellbeing of society.” World Meteorological Day […]
Bezos infuses US$10 billion into climate fight
The global fight against climate change is to receive a cash infusion to the tune of US$10 billion, courtesy of centibillionaire and tech magnate Jeff Bezos. However, the move has generated controversy. Climate change is undeniably a major threat to global health and development. India stands to be hard-hit by any number of environmental catastrophes […]
Child health and wellbeing: The world needs to invest
Child health and wellbeing: “The most powerful investments a society can make” What kind of country does one wish theirs to be? There are many possible answers to this question. Perhaps one of the most compelling and morally imperative answers would be that it is a country that provides for its children – in both […]
Natural disasters: How much do they cost?
In an era of climate change driving extreme weather patterns, natural disasters seem to be becoming the norm. Indeed, recent months have seen the eyes of the world captivated by wildfires ravaging Australia – the country’s worst in decades. India is no stranger to environmental catastrophes and extreme weather patterns, witnessing calamities ranging from heatwaves […]