The World Health Organisation estimates that indoor pollution from inefficient burning of biomass fuels kills about two million people every year. Not just that, Veerabhadran Ramanathan, professor of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, has proven that soot from cooking plays a key role in climate change. 

The United Nations Environment Programme has recognized HCC ( Hindustan Construction Company), an infrastructure construction and development company, of being the only Indian company to be featured in its Climate Report.

This week the United Nations is holding the Conference on Sustainable Development, hosted by the government of Brazil. It was 40 years ago that the UN Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm, in which only two prime ministers, Indira Gandhi from India and Olof Palme from Sweden, participated. In 1992, 20 years later, the UN Conference on Environment and Development was held with much fanfare and amidst high expectations.

Climate change, the greatest global challenge, is already a reality for the farmers of Rajasthan. It is increasing the pressure on already scarce resources and if proper measures are not taken, migration towards the cities will soon reach new heights.

The sands across the world are crawling, turning vast stretches of land into desert each year. Their relentless march, invading villages, farmlands and water bodies, has made millions of people ecological refugees across the world.  June 17 is annually observed as World Day to Combat Desertification. Dr. Mansour N’Diaye, Chef De Cabinet of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) secretariat, spoke to K.P.M. Basheer onthe need for setting a sustainable development goal of “zero net land degradation by 2030” at the Rio+20 meet.

The Prince of Wales is urging world leaders to adopt a better, more integrated approach to issues like climate change. In a pre-recorded speech to a United Nations sustainability conference in Brazil today, he will warn of the potentially “catastrophic” consequences of inaction on issues such a climate change and global food security.

Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the historic Earth Summit, India made out a strong case against  restrictive trade barriers imposed by rich nations in the name of climate change and insisted that “sustainable development goals” have to be “voluntary, aspirational and non-binding.”

The Force for Rural Empowerment and Economic development (Freed), along with the School of Oceanographic Studies in Jadavpur University and West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency, has launched a pilot project to replace diesel engines of fishing trawlers in the Sunderbans with hybrid solar-cum-wind power generating systems. The project was highlighted at the international seminar on climate change organized by Freed on Friday.

World leaders are due to come together in Rio next week to address the most serious global environmental and sustainability challenges we face. It may well be one of the most important gatherings of our generation. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development – known as the Rio+20 Earth Summit — could produce concrete actions and initiatives to address climate change, clean energy, overfishing, ocean acidification and plastic pollution.

Citizens will soon get to know well in advance how much water would gush into their locality or apartments if there is a heavy release from Ukai dam into Tapi during monsoon. The Surat Climate Change Trust and Surat Municipal Corporation are setting up a mechanism to building an identification system to forewarn citizens about the flood situation so that they can take appropriate safety measures. 

Early Warning System To Alert Citizens About Floods