environmental climate crisis India

Climate change in India: A growing environmental crisis

As torrential rains cause flash floods and landslides in India, the country grapples with an environmental crisis. The heavy rain comes after an unbearable heat wave. Murali Krishnan writes from New Delhi for Deutsche Welle (DW).

In a nutshell:

India is a country of extremes. Extreme topography from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean. Extreme heat this past June that drove temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) and caused no end of misery, most especially among those without the means to cool themselves. Now comes extreme rainfall—monsoons on steroids—bringing landslides and flash floods, death and destruction, ruination, extreme misery.

Key quote:

"South Asia has become the poster child of climate change. The entire region, not just India, is witnessing a clear trend in rising heat waves, floods, landslides, droughts and cyclones. This is already affecting the food, water and energy security of the region."

Big picture:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long been criticized for his fierce protection of India's coal industry, going so far as to unleash tax raids on coal critics. Modi's climate policy and has generally favored a relaxed timeline for winding down greenhouse gas emissions, vowing to reach net zero a comfortable 50 years from now without offering a realistic plan for getting there. Meanwhile, the latest UN assessment differs starkly from the current priorities of the Modi government and warns of imminent catastrophe without drastic emissions cuts before 2030.

Read the full story from Deutsche Welle (DW).

Mining excavator in a mine pit.

Trump administration accelerates Alabama coal expansion mostly for foreign steel markets

The Trump administration is expediting the approval of a major Alabama coal mine expansion despite environmental and safety concerns, with most of the coal destined for export to foreign steelmakers.

Lee Hedgepeth reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
Sign in front of electric vehicle chargers that says 'Electric Vehicle Only'.

House Democrats help block California’s 2035 gas car ban amid rising EV costs and oil industry lobbying

Thirty-five House Democrats joined Republicans to overturn California’s plan to phase out gas-powered cars by 2035, citing concerns about affordability and heavy industry lobbying.

Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
LNG storage tank with a red sky in the background.

Louisiana expands LNG exports as Trump fast-tracks new terminal permits

A new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal is moving forward in southwest Louisiana, adding to the state’s growing LNG footprint as federal and state officials push for more fossil fuel infrastructure.

Tristan Baurick reports for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
Big Ben and Parliament building in the United Kingdom.

UK residents take government’s climate strategy to European human rights court

Two British men argue that the UK’s failure to protect them from climate-related harm violates their human rights and have escalated their case to Europe’s top human rights court.

Damien Gayle reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
Ornate Parliament Hill building and clock tower in Canada's capital city.

Mark Carney’s rise places Trump between two quiet climate champions

Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, both seasoned climate advocates, now flank President Trump, creating a North American dynamic where climate leadership persists even when it’s not a campaign focus.

Justin Worland reports for TIME.

Keep reading...Show less
Airplane landing on a landing strip with snowy mountains in the background.

Aviation insiders call for flight limits as climate concerns soar

A newly formed coalition of aviation professionals warns that the industry must urgently control flight growth and adopt deeper emissions cuts to avoid heavy external regulation and environmental harm.

Damian Carrington reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
Pakistani man selling fruit on the street.

Most climate disaster deaths in Pakistan go uncounted as heat and floods strain health care

A new Amnesty International report reveals that the majority of climate-related deaths in Pakistan are not recorded, obscuring the full human toll as extreme weather events worsen and overwhelm the country's fragile health system.

Keerti Gopal reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.