The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
Till about four years ago, this lane of Maninagar's Mukti Maidan area was used more as a public urinal and a garbage dump. Today, it's the greenest street in this part of town. All thanks to the efforts of one man who has not just transformed this smelly street but …
The worst fears about the Garden City's once salubrious temperature rising beyond comfort levels appear to be coming true... A recent study by the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, has revealed that the temperature has shot up by an alarming three degrees in the past decade alone! The study, conducted …
The 13th Finance Commission has outsourced major part of the exercise to two prominent organisations for devising ways to better manage ecology and environment in the North East. "We have entrusted two renowned institutes of the country
A long time ago, visionaries such as M Vishveshwaraya, K Sheshadri Iyer, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, and Mirza Ismail emphasised the importance of trees, parks and green recreational spaces beyond their visual contribution in a cityscape. But in our hurry to modernise through rapid economic growth, urban aesthetics and environmental upkeep …
This Holi, celebrations in Thane seem to have turned more eco-friendly. While some are skipping part of the celebrations that require burning of wood, others have decided to shun water-based and synthetic colours to prevent wastage of water and damage to the environment. Vidhyadhar Walawalkar of Thane based NGO Enviro-Vigil …
The world has seen a dramatic shift to urban living. In 1900, only 10 per cent of the global population were urban dwellers; now it's more than 50 per cent. More than 95 per cent of the net increase in global population will be in cities in the developing world …
Installation of a concrete batching plant at site has become a basic need for all infrastructure projects. Be it a nuclear, thermal or hydel project or a few kilometres long bridge or setu, be it a tunnel, a housing colony or any other structure, availability of a batching plant is …
One of the outstanding phenomena of the 20th century was the huge migrations of population it witnessed. It is natural to think first of the effects of war, exacerbated by nationalism and beliefs about ethnicity. A major example is the forced displacement of millions of people in Europe and the …
Saving the Maidan's green cover from pollution and turning it into the Guild's "permanent fair ground' is possible, provided the state government, the pollution control board and the ordinary book lover unite, city-based environmentalists said. The 32nd Kolkata Book Fair could not be held this year, due to the lack …
Traditionally most urban areas in the country have grown out of rural settlements. Land use changes and population growth have precipitated urbanization in a lot of rural centres. Urbanization also has cultural connotations, more so today with the far reaching impacts of globalization. But there is another important aspect today: …
The name Gore Vidal takes up more than two-thirds of the space on the cover of my old paperback collection of some of his essays. For good reason, as the same cover has New Statesman, a considerable thunderer in those days, describing Vidal as "America's finest essayist'. In it is …
This paper discusses various urban threats in the mega-cities of the developing countries and provides new insights into NCR planning and management. The mega cities in developing countries have been facing various economic, environmental and social threats. Further, the urban economy is not able to attract desired level of basic …
This report compiles in one volume a snapshot of ADB's strategies, assistance, and lending activities to address the environment-development nexus in Asia and the Pacific. It describes development trends in the region, characterized by rapid economic growth in certain countries and a slower pace in other countries, the continued widespread …
more than 100 municipalities in the us state of Pennsylvania are declaring the environmental regulations of the state and federal governments null and void. They have, in fact, passed ordinances to abolish the constitutional rights of corporations. Led by a local environmental group, the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (celdf), …
NAINITAL town's Naini lake is shrinking and its water becoming increasingly murky. The quality of water in the lake, which is the sole source of drinking water for the people of the town, has deteriorated alarmingly. The discharge of sewage into the lake and inappropriate construction activity in the lake's …
in contrast to the conventional practice of rating cities only on the basis of air pollution, a new study has benchmarked 20 Asian cities on their ability to manage air quality. The report, Urban Air Pollution in Asian Cities, brought out by the Clean Air Initiative for Asian cities and …
This paper examines urban health in low- and middle-income countries, in relation to two sets of environmental issues: persistent local environmental health burdens, and most notably the water, sanitation and housing deficiencies prevalent in the poor neighbourhoods of so many urban settlements; and emerging global environmental burdens that will be …
