Environment & Ecology
Climate, biodiversity, pollution control and environmental legislation
Cabinet approves ₹2,584 crore small hydro power scheme to boost clean energy
The Union Cabinet approved the Small Hydro Power (SHP) Development Scheme for FY 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a central outlay of ₹2,584.60 crore, targeting appro...
Fuel, fertilizer, and food: The long tail of Iran conflict for India
The ongoing West Asia conflict, triggered by US-Israeli strikes against Iran from late February 2026, has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, through which rough...
India’s first report on Nagoya Protocol highlights progress in ensuring access & benefit sharing
India submitted its first national report on the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on February 27, 2026, covering the period No...
From ‘water terrorist’ to water laureate: Iran’s ‘eco-warrior’ in exile Kaveh Madani wins 2026 Stockholm Water Prize
Kaveh Madani, 44, Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), was awarded the 2026 Stockholm Water Pri...
LPG crunch pushes PM POSHAN kitchens back to firewood, burdening women workers
Government schools running the PM POSHAN (mid-day meal) scheme across multiple states are reverting to firewood and alternative solid fuels for cooking, as a...
Climate finance has failed Africa twice over — how to fix it
Africa faces a climate adaptation financing gap of catastrophic proportions: it receives less than $14 billion annually in adaptation funds against a need ex...
A bit of a blur over India’s new carbon credit plan
India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), notified in June 2023 under the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act 2022, has drawn criticism for lacking strate...
Low on gas: Fertilizer shortage looms ahead of India’s kharif season
India faces a potential fertilizer supply crunch ahead of the kharif season (June–September) as LNG flows from West Asia have been disrupted, forcing several...
Climate change could drive millions globally into physical inactivity by 2050: Lancet study
A peer-reviewed modelling study published in The Lancet Global Health (March 2026) found that rising temperatures driven by climate change could significantl...
Himalayan fire shift: Tale of flames and ice unfolding across the range
Forest fires in the Indian Himalayas are occurring at historically unprecedented elevations, with fires above 2,500 metres having quadrupled over the past de...
FAC allows KFDC to continue tree felling operations
The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has approved the Kerala Forest Development Corpora...
CMFRI launches deep-sea expedition to study seamount fisheries in Arabian Sea
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), under ICAR, has launched a two-year deep-sea research programme worth Rs 4.986 crore to explore fish...
Government Takes Steps to Promote Domestic Recycling Capacity and Circular Economy in Solar Sector
With support from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), a government-backed think tank has estimated that cumulative solar panel waste in India co...
Safe Reuse of Treated Water Gains Momentum; Policy Notified in Uttarakhand
Amid growing pressure on freshwater resources, Safe Reuse of Treated Water (SRTW) has emerged as a national priority in India's water security strategy. Utta...
Iran war could affect fertilizer sector, impacting Indian agriculture
Experts and industry analysts have warned that the ongoing US-Israel-Iran military conflict — and the resulting disruption to the Strait of Hormuz — threaten...
RIL signs long-term $3 billion pact with South Korea’s Samsung C&T for supply of green ammonia
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) signed a long-term Supply and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with South Korea's Samsung C&T Corporation for the supply of green a...
The environment, another casualty of war in West Asia
A peer-reviewed study published in the journal *One Earth* (2026) found that the Israel-Gaza conflict generated approximately 33.2 million tonnes of CO₂ equi...
Bhutan example: ‘Pay to protect’ psychology should shape tourism in the Himalayas
Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of USD 100 per visitor per night — in effect from September 2023 to August 2027 — has generated Nu 43.31 million i...
India may soften new grid-supply rules for renewable power producers
India is reconsidering proposed tighter grid-supply penalties for wind and solar power producers under the Deviation Settlement Mechanism (DSM) after develop...
Green public procurement is key to decarbonising India’s steel and cement sectors
A Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) study, released in February 2026 in collaboration with Climate Catalyst, found that mandating 26% certified green st...