Environment

NEW YORK, NY-The United Nations has warned that El Nino could trigger economic shocks worldwide, with extreme heat, droughts and floods threatening Asia, the Pacific and other parts of the Global South. "This El Nino is a behemoth. It is a

LEH: Known locally as the Ladakh Berry or Tsesta Lulu, sea buckthorn is a wild, high-altitude berry with significant nutritional value and the potential to strengthen local livelihoods and expand into global markets. The sea buckthorn of Ladakh received a Geographical

KATHMANDU - A massive landslide in Nepal's Gorkha district on October 11 triggered repeated flood surges in the Budhi Gandaki River, releasing energy comparable to that of a magnitude-3.5 earthquake, according to a preliminary assessment by the Department of Mines

India-West News Desk SAN FRANCISCO, CA - California has lost more than 3,740 square miles of natural habitat and agricultural land to development since 1982, according to a new report from NumbersUSA Education and Research Foundation. That's an area roughly equivalent to

GANDHINAGAR-A 70-year-old farmer in Surendranagar district has turned turmeric cultivation on four acres into an annual income of around Rs 10-11 lakh by processing the crop into powder, pickle and other products instead of selling it as raw produce. Kalubhai Patel

NEW DELHI -India's cheetah conservation programme is expanding beyond its original home at Kuno National Park, with new habitats being established in Madhya Pradesh and other landscapes being considered in Gujarat and Rajasthan. After the species became extinct in India in

India-West News Desk GAITHERSBURG, MD – The greater Washington-area Sikh community gathered at an EcoSikh gala to mark the 450th anniversary of the founding of the city of Amritsar and support the organization’s plan to plant 75 forests in and around

NEW DELHI-India is increasingly aligning its development agenda with climate action, integrating renewable energy, energy efficiency and green industrial policy into economic planning rather than treating environmental goals as separate priorities, a new report has said. The report from Vietnam Times

Photo: Royal Family Channel India-West News Desk MUMBAI-Hollywood actor Rami Malek and 'Bridgerton' star Simone Ashley will join Prince William at the 2026 Earthshot Prize Awards Night in Mumbai in November. The event will also feature actor Alia Bhatt and former India cricketer

OTTAWA - Canada has announced a C$1.2 billion investment to protect its oceans as it expands ports, shipping infrastructure and energy exports along its Pacific coast. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the program would strengthen marine monitoring, scientific research, ecosystem protection

AHMEDABAD-India’s first LNG-powered train was flagged off from Sabarmati on September 27 by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah marking the introduction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an alternative fuel for railway operations in the country. The Modi government

SRINAGAR-A 650-year-old Chinar tree in Chattergam village of Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district is among the oldest of its species in Asia. The Forest, Ecology and Environment Department said some of the tree's older, dried branches had fallen naturally, while the

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY – New York City planted 18,261 trees in fiscal year 2026, the most in a single fiscal year since 2016, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura announced September 23. Most of the new trees

MUMBAI -Bollywood filmmaker and television host Karan Johar is set to host The Earthshot Prize Awards Night in Mumbai on November 17, marking the first time an Indian will host the annual ceremony. The Earthshot Prize, founded by HRH Prince William,

By Dr. Kusum Vyas In an era of rapid climate change, the world's high-mountain regions are undergoing profound changes. Glaciers, permafrost, and slopes that once appeared immovable are becoming increasingly capable of sudden and catastrophic failure. Two disasters—separated by thousands of miles

KATHMANDU-South Asian countries have pledged stronger coordinated action to prevent and combat illegal wildlife trade, including through intelligence sharing, financial investigations, anti-money laundering measures and the prosecution of organized criminal networks. The commitment was made in the Kathmandu Declaration adopted at

NEW DELHI - India is the world’s largest producer of coir and accounts for more than 80 per cent of global coir fiber production. The industry is also closely linked to women’s livelihoods, with women accounting for nearly 80 per

KATHMANDU- Nepal is facing renewed concerns over climate-related disasters as a series of landslides and avalanches have blocked rivers and streams across the country in the past two weeks, following devastating floods in Rasuwa district. The incidents have highlighted the risks

NAIROBI — Every $1 invested in tackling climate change and air pollution together can generate around $15 in economic benefits, higher than the return from addressing climate change and clean air separately, according to a report published by the UN

GUWAHATI-The Assam government is set to establish a state-of-the-art Wildlife Safari and Rescue Centre in Dibrugarh district at an estimated cost of Rs 534 crore, aimed at strengthening wildlife conservation, rescue, research and eco-tourism in the state. The proposed facility will

India-West News Desk HYDERABAD - Kaushik Kappagantulu spent years helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds find work before turning his attention to the farming families many of them came from. His work has since led to a low-cost agricultural technology aimed

PRAGUE- China is constructing a massive hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo, known internationally as the Brahmaputra, in Tibet near its heavily militarized border with India, raising concerns over the potential consequences for downstream countries, according to a recent report. The

India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - The Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump has proposed giving states and some local authorities greater discretion over whether the public is notified about pollution from proposed data centers and other facilities classified as

India-West News Desk ELMHURST, IL –Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has secured $1 million in federal funding for the first stage of a major Lake Michigan water project expected to improve drinking-water reliability for as many as 2 million people across Northeastern Illinois. Krishnamoorthi

AUSTIN, TX - Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the state had paused approval of new artificial intelligence data-center projects amid growing public concern over their consumption of water and electricity. The decision marks a sharp shift for Abbott, who

By Fatema Baldiwala LOS ANGELES, CA - If you think the biggest danger to that perfectly ripe mango sitting in your kitchen is your family fighting over the last piece, think again. California has another mango-loving enemy and this one is much

India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - The Trump administration is escalating its fight with California over the state’s environmental policies, challenging its climate partnerships, targeting regulations and moving to open protected forest lands to logging and road construction. California has long pursued

LOS ANGELES, CA- Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two largest reservoirs in the United States on the Colorado River, have both fallen to record-low levels since they were filled, according to federal data. US water officials and experts said the

By Ishita Srivastava and Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri India has become a global leader in making progress on clean energy: by the end of December 2025, non-fossil fuel sources accounted for 51.93 per cent of India’s installed power capacity, crossing the

NEW DELHI-Chinese social media has been flooded with discussions about India’s rapid rise in solar manufacturing, with some posts portraying the country’s growing photovoltaic (PV) industry as a new challenge to China’s long-standing dominance in the sector. Phrases such as ‘China’s

WASHINGTON, DC-President Donald Trump on August 6 signed an executive order imposing minimum import prices and a 15 per cent tariff on products made from polysilicon, a key material used in solar panels and semiconductors, in a move aimed at

India-West News Desk CHICAGO, IL - Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) has urged the chief executives of BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Shell to take immediate steps to reduce carbon emissions, citing scientific research linking fossil fuel pollution to increasingly severe wildfires

NEW DELHI -India has emerged as the world's second-largest market for new solar power installations, overtaking the United States, according to a government factsheet released on August 2. The milestone comes as India continues to rapidly expand renewable energy while

NEW DELHI - Climate-driven temperature increases are projected to cause about 430,000 additional deaths annually by 2050, with low-income countries expected to suffer 10 times more heat-related deaths than wealthier nations because they lack access to the electricity needed for

Rare Neelakurinji Blooms, Draws Crowds, Govt. Imposes Visitor Curbs NILGIRIS-The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has restricted public access to Neelakurinji blooming sites in parts of the Gudalur region after the rare flowering drew hundreds of visitors over the past few days. Forest

NEW DELHI-Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to wildlife enthusiasts on Global Tiger Day, reaffirming the government's commitment to protecting tigers through science-based conservation and community participation. In a post on X, Modi said, "Greetings to all wildlife enthusiasts on Global

KOCHI-In a move that blends marine conservation with digital innovation, the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute has launched two technology-driven platforms aimed at improving awareness and compliance for the protection of endangered sharks and rays. The 'Shark Aware' mobile application is

AMRELI -India's first dedicated railway underpass designed for the safe movement of Asiatic lions has been completed in Gujarat's Amreli district, marking a new approach to reducing collisions between wildlife and trains in the Gir landscape. The underpass has been built

Photo:x.ai India -West News Desk MEMPHIS, TN- Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, is under renewed scrutiny after a Reuters investigation reported that 59 portable natural gas turbines have been installed to power its Colossus 2 data center, with the units allegedly operating without permits

By Rishikant SinghThe news of another under-construction tunnel accident in Wayanad, Kerala, is deeply disturbing. Once again, lives have been lost. My heartfelt condolences to the families affected. Every such tragedy compels us to ask a difficult question: How much more are

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - In a milestone for sustainable transportation, India entered the era of clean energy rail travel with Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off the nation's very first indigenously built, hydrogen powered train from the Jind railway

India-West News Desk ALBANY, NY - New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed an Executive Order establishing the nation's first statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, temporarily halting discretionary environmental permits for up to one year while the state develops

GANDHINAGAR -Gujarat accounts for the largest share of India’s installed renewable energy capacity, contributing 17.82 percent of the national total, with the state’s cumulative capacity reaching 50.386 GW, according to figures released on July 9 ahead of Global Energy Independence

MUMBAI- Actress Shriya Pilgaonkar and her mother, veteran actress Supriya Pilgaonkar, have planted 1,500 indigenous saplings to create a mini forest that will eventually provide a habitat for birds, bees and other wildlife. Shriya shared pictures on social media from the

India-West News Desk LOS ANGELES, CA - Four Bengal tiger cubs, including an exceptionally rare white cub, have been born at Cuba's National Zoo, offering a rare conservation success story even as the country struggles with its economy. The Bengal tiger is

LONDON-Philosopher and author Acharya Prashant, in a dialog with PETA Foundation President Mimi Bekhechi here, said violence against animals reflects a broader culture of violence, arguing that "one who is violent towards animals will be violent towards all." The fireside conversation,

COIMBATORE-Tamil Nadu's AI-powered wildlife monitoring system has helped prevent elephant deaths on a vulnerable railway stretch near Coimbatore, with thousands of real-time alerts enabling train pilots to slow down or stop trains for the safe movement of wild elephants over

MUMBAI-Actress Bhumi Pednekar has shared a powerful environmental message highlighting the hidden impact of plastic waste during the monsoon season. In a recent post, Bhumi pointed out that the first rains not only clean the streets but also expose the large amount of

By Srijana Karki Twenty to 25 years ago, finger millet (locally known as Madua) and elephant foot yam (Ol) were an integral part of farming systems and household diets in Jhanjharpur of Madhubani district, Bihar, India. Families regularly consumed millet rotis, and

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - India could generate more than $500 billion by 2050 through its Carbon Credit Trading Scheme and use the proceeds to finance its clean energy transition, according to a new report by the Asia Society