With the frequency of cloudbursts events increasing over India’s Himalayan region and beyond, experts consider this to be direct evidence of the impact of climate change on weather systems. These events that are often difficult to predict have occurred across Jammu, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, dramatically increasing the threat of floods that have the […]
environmental health
Jammu and Kashmir flooding the latest evidence of climate change affecting rainfall in India
Over two weeks after flash floods devastated Jammu and Kashmir, leaving seven dead and nineteen missing, India is once again coming to terms with the threat posed by cloudburst events. In the aftermath of the flash floods that sent mud, rocks, and other debris crashing through the community causing widespread damage and fatalities, local officials […]
Landmark IPCC report reaffirms knowledge of climate threats and offers stark warnings
The UN’s latest major climate report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides stark warnings of what it describes as the ‘code red’ situation humanity is facing through the effects of anthropogenically-influenced global warming. The comprehensive IPCC WG1 is the latest IPCC report since 2013 when the Fifth Assessment report was published. […]
Rainfall: Deadly Mumbai downpours highlight climate change’s continued scourge
Torrential rainfall in Mumbai has left dozens of people dead and many without drinking water. As of Monday morning, the city recorded more than 250 millimetres of rain in the preceding 24 hours. The deadly Mumbai rains resulted in a landslide, causing considerable damage and loss of life. The Chembur suburb witnessed 21 deaths and […]
Abnormal temperatures linked to climate change cause over seven lakh deaths annually
Almost 740,000 deaths in India can be attributed to abnormal hot and cold temperatures related to climate change annually, according to a study published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health. Laying bare the link between non-optimal temperatures and increased mortality, the study evaluated the impact on a global, regional, and national scale. The findings […]
Forty percent chance Earth will exceed COP21 climate goals in coming years, according to research
![By U.S. Department of State from United States [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Secretary_Kerry_Addresses_Delegates_Before_Signing_the_COP21_Climate_Change_Agreement_on_Earth_Day_in_New_York_26514585581-150x150.jpg "Exclusive interview: Sir Andy Haines on climate change, a global health challenge")
At a time when international countries have their sights firmly set on the COP26, research issued by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has suggested that there is roughly a forty percent chance annual average global temperatures will temporarily push past the limit set out in the COP21 climate agreement in at least one of the […]
The Chipko movement, Sunderlal Bahuguna, and the continued deforestation crisis
Katherine Goldsmith once dubbed environmental activist Sunderlal Bahuguna ‘a gentle warrior’, in an exploration of his decades-long quest for environmental justice — perhaps most notably via the Chipko movement. Recently, Sunderlal Bahuguna passed away aged 94 after contracting COVID-19 — but his legacy endures, as does the Chipko movement he was such an integral part of. Chipko — or, “to hug”, […]
Twenty firms responsible for over half of all global single-use plastic waste
New research has revealed for the first time that just twenty companies are responsible for producing more than half of all the single-use plastic waste in the world. This marks an enormous contribution to the vast majority of the plastics pollutants in landfills, oceans, and the environment in general. The comprehensive new analysis published by […]
Purchasing of inefficient air conditioning in India points to lessons on consumer behavior and climate change
Often, the conversation about environmental issues revolves around government regulations and business practices. However, consumer choice also plays a significant role. A study mapping cooling energy consumption found individuals living in urban households in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) often purchase air conditioners on the basis of the brand, features and price points, rather than […]
India fails to outline pharmaceutical standard despite new research underlining the environmental importance
India’s Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has failed to outline norms for discharge standards for effluents from bulk drugs and pharmaceutical industries, due to a lack of ‘necessary information’. Home to one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical industries, India has long faced calls for regulation on effluents and runoff which have both an […]