Down To Earth | Latest news, opinion, analysis on environment & science issues

Is the recent spate of building fires in India due to extreme heat? Yes, says expert

URBAN INFERNOS

Climate Change

Is the recent spate of building fires in India due to extreme heat? Yes, says expert

Overloading of air conditioners & transistors due to unprecendented power demand made matters worse in residential & public buildings that violate fire safety norms

NEWS AND VIEWS

Wildlife & Biodiversity

Road to COP16: CBD implementation body ends meet without consensus on many crucials decisions

Road to COP16: Convention on Biological Diversity’s implementation body ends meet without consensus on many crucials decisions

The delegates will meet once again before COP16 to finalise the text

Health

World Health Assembly approves resolution that calls for mental health support to be included in emergency responses

Authors of the draft expressed concern at the continued discrimination and stigma suffered …

Africa

Botswana and the Europeans recently had a spat regarding elephants. What was it all about?

Botswana & the Europeans recently had a spat about elephants. What was it all about?

At a time when the whole world is desperate to save elephants from extinction, Botswana is …

Food

38% Indians consume fried snacks and processed foods, only 28% consume healthy food

16.6% of country’s population also suffers from malnutrition, finds new report

Climate Change

Scorching days, sweltering nights: Bihar’s heatwave impact worsens due to hot nights

Little dip in temperatures after sunset, IMD issues alert

Agriculture

Nagaland’s first potato festival is embracing tradition amid climate challenges

A selection of tubers at the Nagaland potato festival. Photo: Virosanuo Solo

The festival underscored the importance of sustainable, locally sourced produce, reflecting …

Africa

KAZA Summit 2024: Delegates renew calls to leave CITES

They cited an unreasonableness on part of the convention to maintain a blanket ban on ivory …

Forests

Shimla grey with smoke plumes as fires burn in forests near it

At 1,172, Himachal Pradesh has already witnessed the highest number of forest fires this …

Videos

Wildlife & Biodiversity

Goolar: The wonder flower which you should know about

Down To Earth discussed about goolar with nutritionist Sangeeta Khanna. Watch our new episode of The Green Kitchen to learn more

Climate Change

Cyclone Remal causes chaos in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India: What we know so far

Water

Mass fish kill incident in Periyar river amid industrial pollution

Food

Patanjali product ban: Celebrities, influencers equally responsible for misleading advertisements

Climate Change

May 2024 to mark one-year streak of high temperatures?

Climate Change

Why Nagaland faced unprecedented flooding after decades | Alarming Variations Ep-03

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CSE Online Training Courses

The Plastic Lifecycle

Online Training on Understanding Environmental Laws for Better Environmental Management

Integrated Online and Onsite Training on Environmental Impact Assessment

Online training course New approaches to air quality data analytics and pollution source assessment for better air quality management

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Sustainable Solid Waste Management With Special Focus on waste treatment and processing to Strengthen Implementation of SBM 2.0

Demystifying Environmental and Sustainability Data for Effective Communication in the 21st Century

Onsite Training Program on Low Carbon Pathways for Industrial Sectors

Integrated online and residential training: Lake Rejuvenation and Groundwater Management in Urban Areas

Residential Training on Water Efficiency and Conservation (WEC) in Urban India

Residential Training on Social Impact Assessment

Three Day Residential Training: Compressed Biogas (CBG): Potential, Technology, Policy, Operations and Economics

Cartoons

Photo Gallery

The iconic red dog or Asiatic wild dog, the dhole (Cuon alpinus) has been at the receiving end of human actions till now. But recent years have slowly peeled away layers of ignorance regarding the species. There has been a substantial increase in the scie

Wildlife & Biodiversity

World Dhole Day 2024: Are things looking up for Asia’s red dogs?

Recent years have seen a host of new research on the elusive canid; many range countries now working on national plans

On May 2, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly declared May 24 as the ‘International Day of the Markhor’, after the iconic and ecologically significant wild goat (Capra falconeri) found across the mountainous regions of Central and South Asia. The fi

Wildlife & Biodiversity

Markhor: The world’s largest wild goat now has a day of its own

The UN declared May 24 as ‘International Day of the Markhor’ on May 2, citing its iconic and economic importance

Environment

Ghazipur landfill fire: Annual choking hazard for Delhi

Authorities have missed multiple deadlines to clear out the legacy waste from Ghazipur landfill

Africa

Sudan, a country displaced

One of Africa’s largest and most populous countries is on the brink of famine after a year of war between its Army and main paramilitary

डाउन टू अर्थ

वन

जंगलों की आग की लपटों से घिरा शिमला, हिमाचल में अब तक 10 हजार हेक्टेयर जंगल को नुकसान

हिमाचल प्रदेश में अभी तक के फायर सीजन के दौरान 10 हजार हेक्टेयर भूमि को नुकसान पहुंच चुका है

लू / शीत लहर

भारत सहित दुनिया के कई देशों में गर्मी ने झुलसाया, कौन है जिम्मेवार

क्यों भारत के कई हिस्से इतना ज्यादा तप रहे हैं। क्या इसके लिए सिर्फ जलवायु में आता बदलाव जिम्मेवार है या फिर बढ़ता शहरीकरण, घटते पेड़ और जलस्रोत भी वजह हैं

मॉनसून ने सामान्य तिथि से दो दिन पहले केरल में और छह दिन पहले पूर्वोत्तर भारत में दी दस्तक

मानसून

मॉनसून ने दो दिन पहले केरल में और छह दिन पहले पूर्वोत्तर भारत में दी दस्तक

दक्षिण-पश्चिम मॉनसून पूरे नागालैंड, मणिपुर, मिजोरम, अरुणाचल प्रदेश और त्रिपुरा, मेघालय और असम के अधिकतर हिस्सों सहित पूर्वोत्तर भारत के अधिकांश इलाकों में आगे बढ़ गया है

Data Centre

Climate Change

Islands of heat

CSE study shows how Indian urban centres are trapping more heat due to built-up landscapes, in turn impacting health

Waste

Global stances on various facets of plastic pollution

As the fourth round of talks begin in Ottawa for a global plastic treaty, CSE analyses positions taken by various countries on plastics

Environment

The ground beneath our feet

Why soil health and biodiversity matters for the survival of the planet

Water

Parched Garden City

How Bengaluru’s water crisis is of its own making

Factsheet

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Did heat dissuade voters during the third phase?

Climate Change

Lok Sabha 2024: Did heat dissuade voters during phase 3?

Almost half of the districts analysed saw a rise in temperature as well as a lower voter turnout on polling day on May 7, 2024

Sunita Narain's Desk

Director General of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Editor of Down To Earth magazine. She is an environmentalist who pushes for changes in policies, practices and mindsets