Environment

A study reported on 9 September found that emissions from the open burning of waste rise sharply in winter across Indian cities, roughly tripling and adding substantially to the seasonal deterioration in urban air quality.

Researchers reported on 8 September that warming contributed to the ice-rock avalanche on the Nepal-China border that set off the Bhote Koshi flash floods, and warned that the risk of such disasters is rising across high-altitude regions.

Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan chaired a review meeting with Himalayan States and Union Territories on 3 September on preparedness for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods and snow avalanches. He called for continuous surveillance of vulnerable glacial lakes and avalanche-prone regions and stronger early warning systems.

The UN Environment Programme, in a report released in Nairobi on 2 September, for the first time charted a detailed pathway for a world that temporarily overshoots the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degrees Celsius goal. It warned of faster sea-level rise, coral reef collapse and food production declines of up to 14% by 2050 without adaptation.

The World Meteorological Organisation said on 3 September that El Nino is set to intensify into 2027 and could be the strongest on record. Its forecasts show a near 100% likelihood that it will persist through February 2027, fuelled by exceptionally warm Pacific Ocean temperatures — the first time the agency has stated such certainty.

A study estimated the total economic value of the Pichavaram mangrove ecosystem in Tamil Nadu at ₹2,485.38 crore, or ₹1.83 crore a hectare, counting its ecological, economic and social benefits. Pichavaram is among India’s most significant coastal wetland ecosystems.

The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification met in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.” It introduced the Drought Resilience Index as an AI-powered assessment tool and launched the Drought Resilience Investment Facility, with $1.3 billion in new and pipeline financing announced. India released a Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems at the conference.

The Spoon-tailed Duskhawker (Gynacantha basiguttata) has been confirmed from the Namdapha landscape in Arunachal Pradesh, the first photographic record of the species in India. Previously known mainly from Southeast Asia, it is a crepuscular dragonfly of the Aeshnidae family and adds to the country’s Odonata checklist.