Dr. Arvind Kumar* This is the age of information revolution and internet has made the world come to us on a platter, with it comes challenges like idea theft or plagiarism. Plagiarism has become a much greater issue over the last thirty years because the rise of the internet makes it much easier to cut,...
Dr. S. K. Sharma*, Vimal Belani*, Lalit Gupta* ABSTRACT: The article outlines practices & policies for developing and managing RWH & Managed Aquifer Recharging measures for purposes of meeting integrated socio-economic & ecosystem services. The write-up also provides out-looks & vi...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Whether it’s the effects of climate change or deforestation, our planet is facing some of the biggest challenges generations has ever known. Many climate-related records have been broken by enormous margins in 2023 and as temperatures are creeping up, climate-related disasters ar...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss and pollution and waste is upon us and bearing down harder every year. If we do not act strongly, this crisis will crush our chances of delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals. We can forget about...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Climate scientists predicted that April 2024 will likely be the hottest April ever recorded globally. This would make it the 9th consecutive monthly temperature record as per data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The abnormal heat is attributed to climate ch...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* There is no food security without peace, and no peace without food security, it is no coincidence that half of the world’s hungry people live in conflict-affected zones. Out of 258 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity, over two thirds — 174 million — are the...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Water is a basic human right of every individual inhabiting the planet, without water life is impossible. Access to safe water is imperative for civilizations to prosper. However, conflicts over water are continuing to pose severe risks on populations and the environment across the glo...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Rivers are the lifeline of every country, similarly for millions of Indians through millennia. It’s a country which also derives its modern name India from river Indus. While some rivers are worshipped as deities, others sustain lives around them. In either case, Indians have a profoun...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* On the face of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, the world has not just an environment to do list but an environment must to do list. There is growing recognition that the environment needs to be re-evaluated and better protected. Developm...
26TH February – 1st March, 2024, Nairobi, Kenya By Shweta Tyagi* OPENING: The sixth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) began on Monday, February 26, 2024, at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. During the opening of UNEA-6, President Leila Benali from M...
Dr. Arvind Kumar, Editor, Focus Global Reporter conducted an interview with Mr. Kapil NARULA, Ph.D., Senior Analyst Breakthrough Agenda, Climate Champions Team, Dubai, UAE. Excerpts from the Interview are reproduced here. Mr. Kapil Narula is Senior Analyst, Breakthrough Agenda at the UN High Level Clima...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Human rights reflect shared values and apply to every human being regardless of the specific laws that their country may hold. Such values also apply to human beings of any race, religion or any other identity marker. But is it being upheld in countries? With the Palestine, Israel conf...
Dr Eric Tardieu* As water resource management at the basin level is increasingly recognized as an essential component in effectively addressing the expanding number of challenges stemming from climate change and resource scarcity, basin organisations are peacemakers and accelerators of sustainable devel...
Dr. Arvind Kumar, Editor, Focus Global Reporter conducted an interview with Mr. Takayuki Hagiwara, FAO Representative in India, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Excerpts from the Interview are reproduced here. Mr. Takayuki Hagiwara is appointed as the FAO Representative in India effective since...
Dr. Arvind Kumar, Editor, Focus Global Reporter conducted an interview with Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD. Excerpts from the Interview are reproduced here. Dr. Pema Gyamtsho is the Director General of ICIMOD. He has served the Royal Government of Bhutan for over three decades in natural...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Agriculture contributes 16% of the overall GDP and accounts for employment of approximately 52% of the Indian population. Rapid growth in agriculture is essential not only for self-reliance but also to earn valuable foreign exchange. Even PM Modiji in his speech at Gujarat yesterday un...
6-9th February 2024, Goa Ms. Shweta Tyagi* India is not only embracing but also leading changes with its vast resources, booming economy, and progressive young population. Prioritizing energy security while aiming for a low-carbon future, India offers numerous investment opportunities in hydrocarbons, r...
Ms. Shweta Tyagi, Associate Editor, Focus Global Reporter conducted an interview with Dr. Sandeep Tripathi, IEM, Central Vigilance Commission, Govt. of India, Rtd. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force, Odisha, and Chief Technical Advisor – Environment & Forest, Ind...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The United Nations Environment Assembly is the world’s highest-level decision-making body for matters related to the environment. It sets priorities for global environmental policies and international environmental law. Understanding these challenges and preserving and rehabilitating o...
Shri B. P. PATI* & Shri SUNIL BHAWARIA** Coal/Lignite PSUs have spearheaded commendable efforts in leveraging mine water to alleviate water scarcity, aligning with the Jal Shakti Abhiyan for water conservation initiated by the Government of India. Introduction: At the heart of India’s energy s...
Mr. Jaideep N. Malaviya a professional in solar energy since 1996 is Founder-Secretary General of Solar Thermal Federation of India and also Managing Director of Malaviya Solar Energy Consultancy and. He has over 25 years of experience in solar energy industry as a consultant, researcher, trainer and pr...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* In an era of planetary crises and increasing environmental challenges, finding innovative and sustainable solutions to safeguard the health of our planet and promote human well-being is paramount and wetlands play a crucial role in it. As per recent estimates, wetlands of at leas...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Our planet is heading for a scorching three-degree increase in global temperatures. Droughts, storms, fires and floods are pummeling countries and communities. Before travelling to the United Nations climate talks at COP28 in Dubai, I saw for myself the dramatic receding of Himalayan g...
By FGR Bureau MoEF&CC has submitted three nominations from India for Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) of Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) & Udaipur (Rajasthan) under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. These are the first three Indian cities for which nominations have been submitt...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* In 2023 most of the planet including the oceans experienced above-average or record-breaking heat, with more intense rainfall and catastrophic flooding and damage. Changing rainfall patterns led to massive forest fires scorching millions of hectares. A quarter of the world’s population...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Economic corridors are infrastructure projects designed to enhance connectivity and facilitate economic development between different regions or countries involving the development of transportation and logistics infrastructure, such as roads, railways, ports, and digital connectivity,...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Agriculture represents a crucial sector that underpins our population growth and well-being. It has been providing nourishment for generations. According to the United Nations, agricultural development is one of the most powerful tools to combat extreme poverty, boost prosperity, and f...
30th November-12th December 2023, Dubai Ms. Shweta Tyagi* “The UN warns of an alarming path toward catastrophic global heating, the world witnesses the breaking of the largest iceberg in Antarctica, wildfires rage in Australia and Bolivia, deadly floods wreak havoc in Somalia, India and 2023 looms as a...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The 28th edition of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) unfolded in the dynamic city of Dubai, UAE, spanning from November 30 to December 12, 2023. Notably, this COP marked a historic milestone as the first instan...
By FGR Bureau 14 December, New Delhi: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which is a comprehensive list of inalienable human rights agreed upon by all nations, celebrates its 75th anniversary in December. To commemorate the Declaration the International Labour Organization hosted...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* In an agreement on a loss and damage fund to help developing countries cope with the effects of climate change, COP28 began with a historic landmark deal. Developing nations that have contributed the least to the climate crisis have been facing the brunt of its devastating floods, drou...
Message of UN Secretary-General António Guterres Seventy-five years ago, in the wake of the horrors of the Holocaust, States adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The Convention embodied a new global commitment to ensure that “never again” should any person en...
Message of UN Secretary-General António Guterres “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” The iconic opening sentence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is as important today as it was when it was adopted 75 years ago. The Universal Declaration is a roadmap, helping to...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* A landmark deal to help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries pay for the irreversible impacts of climate disaster was agreed on the first day of the Cop28 UN summit. Host country UAE and Germany both pledged $100m (£79m) to the loss and damage startup fund, which will aim...
by FGR Bureau Message of UN Secretary-General António Guterres This first World Sustainable Transport Day reminds us that the road to a better future depends on cleaner and greener transportation systems. Transportation represents the world’s circulatory system, delivering people and goods across countr...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Human rights are rights we have simply because we exist as human beings – they are not granted by any state. These universal rights are inherent to us all, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. They range from t...
By FGR Bureau Message of UN Secretary-General António Guterres Violence against women is a horrific violation of human rights, a public health crisis and a major obstacle to sustainable development. It is persistent, widespread — and worsening. From sexual harassment and abuse to femicide, the vi...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Summer 2023’s record-setting temperatures aren’t just a set of numbers – they result in dire real-world consequences. From sweltering temperatures in USA, to wildfires across Canada, and extreme flooding in Europe and Asia, extreme weather is threatening lives and livelihoods around th...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Our planet is buckling under the weight of intertwined environmental crises: conflict, climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. These unfolding catastrophes are getting worse by the day and jeopardizing decades of hard-won development gains. Especially in the Asia Pacific regio...
Shweta Tyagi* An Overview of the Third World Food Forum (WFF) Event Agrifood systems are a major contributor to climate change, but they also have the potential to be part of the solution. Being the complex networks of people, activities, and resources that produce, process, and consume food, agrifood s...
By Dr. Arvind Kumar* Air pollution, stemming from the introduction of noxious agents such as gases, particles, and biological compounds, can inflict severe harm on the health and well-being of humans, animals, plants, and the natural surroundings. This pervasive concern, recognized as air pollution, sta...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* At this time of year like the advent of festival season the annual ritual of Air Pollution also arrives in Delhi. Its air is increasingly becoming more polluted and unbreathable, harming our health, economies and the planet and is a global scale problem and one of the biggest contribut...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Agrifood systems are a major contributor to climate change, but they also have the potential to be part of the solution. Being the complex networks of people, activities, and resources that produce, process, and consume food, agrifood systems are significant for human well-being, nutri...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The 54th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), which was held from September 11 to October 13, 2023, was a meeting of the main intergovernmental body within the United Nations system responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe. The...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The world is facing increasingly complex climate-related challenges that are reducing our resilience to climate shocks and increasing our vulnerability to natural hazards. The frequency and intensity of climate-related hazards such as cyclones, flooding, and drought are rising, affecti...
https://youtu.be/IgSWYjdTBGU Side event on Linguistic Minorities and Human Rights in India organised by Sindhi Adhikar Manch on 25th September 2023 at the 54th session of UN Human Rights Council at Geneva, Switzerland.
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Europe is experiencing some of the hottest temperatures of summer 2023 so far, as a ‘heat dome’ expands over the southern half of the continent. While flying back from Geneva yesterday I saw all the mountains without ice caps, and then CNN confirmed that this summer Switzerland lost 4%...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Is the Political Declaration at the UN SDG Summit 2023 actually a transformative action or just old wine in new bottle? A fundamental shift is needed in how the world tackles existing crises – from climate change to conflicts, from poverty to polarisation, from food security to financi...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Under the theme of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ the G20 leaders met at a defining moment in history where the decisions made will determine the future of people and planet. It is with the philosophy of living in harmony with surrounding ecosystem that commitment to concrete actions were tak...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* 2023 mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UNDHR). The Human Rights Council is known as the most open and accessible body in the entire UN structure. This is precisely as it should be given that every human being is entitled to human rights under inte...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* India’s G20 presidency has been regarded by experts across the world as an exceptional and unprecedented opportunity with immense scope and potential. With the motto of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, it has embarked on the year-long journey of the G20 presidency. Indeed, there is...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* One of the clearest trends the world witnessed in 2022 was the accelerating eastward shift in global economic power. For almost 80 years the conventional pathway for affecting change and progress in the international system was through the multilateral institutions themselves. Today, h...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Scorching heat gripped parts of Europe, Asia, and North America, bringing with it record-breaking temperatures, driving wildfires, and prompting health warnings and evacuations. It was almost impossible to escape the reports of Canada’s wildfires in early June, with large parts of Nort...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* There has been increased attention put on the financial resources needed to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change (climate finance). The governance and distribution of climate finance have implications for the full range of human rights, including the rights to...
10th -19th July 2023 By Dr. Arvind Kumar “Unless we act now, the 2030 Agenda will become an epitaph for a world that might have been” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres Only 12% of the SDG targets are on-track. Nearly 50% of the targets are moderately or severely off-track. About 30% have either...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Since systematic scientific assessments began in the 1970s, the influence of human activity on the warming of the climate system has evolved from theory to established fact’, reports IPCC. The 2022 UN Emissions Gap Report says ‘Equity is central to addressing lifestyles. The emissions...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Artificial Intelligence is rapidly shaping the future of humanity across nearly every industry. It is already the main driver of emerging technologies like big data, robotics and IoT — not to mention generative AI, with tools like ChatGPT and AI art generators garnering mainstream atte...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The world is crying out for high-level political action. Actions to make the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for everyone, everywhere” said Antonio Guetress, Secretary General United Nations at the general debate of the High Level Political Forum 2023 in New York. The goals are...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The summer monsoon brings South Asia 70-80% of its annual rainfall, as well as death and destruction due to flooding and landslides. During monsoon, rivers tend to swell in their flood plains. Lakes and wetlands retain excess surface runoff, while forested lands help in soil retention...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The recent visit of Amina Mohammed UN Deputy Secretary General focused on a range of critical topics, including India’s ongoing G20 presidency and its remarkable achievements in the Sustainable Development Goals and issues related to Climate Action in context of developmental prioritie...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* India is a diverse country with a large population that faces various challenges related to poverty, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and employment. The government of India has launched several policies and initiatives over the years to address these challenges and enable commun...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* We are left in an interesting — and concerning — place these past couple of years. The world’s pandemic proved it was far from over, sickening millions and affecting economies. Global inflation hit 9% in 2022, its highest level since 2008. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine displaced million...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* We are in a race against time in this climate emergency. Governments must use the time and opportunity to prepare for an ambitious outcome at COP28 that is in line with the scale of the climate crisis we face. This means a clear plan to end the dependence on fossil fuels – ...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Everybody agrees that we are living through unprecedented times. The nature and scale of what the triple planetary crisis has led to is unparalleled. In such a scenario, solutions are unlikely to come from past experiences or best practices. The biggest source of strength now is the pa...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss and pollution and waste is upon us and bearing down harder every year. If we do not act strongly, this crisis will crush our chances of delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals. We can forget about...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* IPCC has warned that India—home to 20 percent of the world’s population—could face multiple climate change-induced disasters in the next two decades. In the African continent, meanwhile, eight countries are among the ten most vulnerable in the world. Yet, climate is a global common, a...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The choice for the first set of single-use plastic items for the ban was based on “difficulty of collection, and therefore recycling. While technology takes its leaps and bounds to help us live our life more comfortable, we must not forget that the earth should also be able to su...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The loss of biodiversity can have significant impacts on human health if we do not guarantee that the ecosystem services it provides are protected. Recent diseases such as SARS, avian influenza, Ebola – and the enormous health, economic, and societal impacts of COVID-19 have not yet so...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The format of Mann ki Baat is a monologue by the Prime Minister, where he shares his thoughts, experiences, and ideas on a wide range of topics. It is a unique initiative that aims to establish a direct connection between him and the citizens of India. It serves as a platform for ...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The overall human impact due to overpopulation on the environment is causing overconsumption, excessive pollution, and proliferation of technology has pushed the planet into a new geological epoch known as the Anthropocene. With the advancement of science and technology, the mortality...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* India’s Presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has come at a time when the global economy and landscape is facing significant challenges due to various prevailing issues. There are newer challenges such as the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukr...
Dr. Arvind Kumar From the vehicle you ride to the television you watch; plastics are everywhere around us… quite literally! Most plastic items never fully disappear; they just get smaller and smaller (Microplastics). According to a recent report, plastic fragments have been found in the digestive tracts...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The discussions all throughout the year from South Asia Forum on sustainable development to the Asia Pacific Forum for sustainable development and finally to High Level Political Forum in New York will be on the theme, “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)...
Report: Travelogue Dr. Arvind Kumar* The ten day sojourn from Delhi- New York- Incheon- Bangkok-Delhi was almost 40 hours of intermittent flying. Landing in New York, a city of endless possibilities, high energy, great diversity and much to visit and explore whether you’re a foodie, an art enthusi...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The UN 2023 Water Conference was convened from 22-24th March2023 in New York on the theme of water was after 44 years since 1977 and opened with energy and optimism for a true watershed moment and began with a clear diagnosis of the situation that progress has fallen severely short in...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Civil20 not only represents the voice of civil society in the G20 countries, but also globally, including in the southern hemisphere. Given India’s commitment to this year’s G20 on collaboration and cooperation as the key to produce solutions to combat many of the world...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* While the world was grappling with the adverse socio-economic impacts caused by the triple planetary crisis of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss it was burdened by another 2C of COVID, and Conflict challenging the ability of countries to focus on attaining the SDGs by 203...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The cooperation and alignment are necessary, need to be scaled up, and require commitment and strong leadership. By promoting cooperation, coordination, and alignment of policies and regulations, we can achieve more efficient, equitable, and sustainable management of water resources wh...
ANALYSIS:G20 Dr. Arvind Kumar* The Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement, which was inked in December 2022, will strengthen this cooperation even more. Both nations are enhancing collaboration in the areas of climate action and sustainable development goals through the Green and Sustainable Devel...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The world is currently experiencing the disastrous effects of climate change, including storms, floods, heat waves, wildfires, cyclones, and sea level rise. Another issue that has arisen as a result of climatic disruptions and is demanding our immediate attention is global food securit...
Shweta Tyagi* Hazards always come as a surprise but are also inevitable. The tragic events in Syria and Turkey are virtually identical. They were caused by a fault system, which has been well-documented through years of laborious fieldwork, historical records, and geophysical observations. Several citie...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The world faces multiple challenges of war, energy, food shortages, viruses, and recession therefore a global response is needed. The impacts of Covid and the ripple effects of the crisis in Ukraine foretell extreme economic stress and ecological disaster. The developing countries have...
A report on India Energy Week 2023 Shweta Tyagi* The first major event under India’s G20 Presidency the India Energy Week 2023 India held in Bengaluru from February 6–8, 2023 and provided a dynamic unique opportunity for India to bring together all the international stakeholders, domestic as well as int...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* As inevitable climate hazards worsen, the rate of global warming is outpacing attempts to protect billions of people. Get ready for a growing wave of emerging technologies developed and scaled with the ultimate goal of solving a social or environmental challenge. Deep tech lays one of...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The main asset in the modern period is energy and unquestionably necessary for a developing economy like India because it is the backbone of production, transportation, construction, communication, and mobility. India has the chance to direct the G20’s discussion on the energy tr...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Wetlands’ vulnerability will undoubtedly rise as a result of climate change and its associated drivers and pressures. The conservation approach in India has to move from a ‘puritanical’ one, to one that emphasizes economic value and its vital link to human survival. Wetlands have...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* From COVID-19 pandemic to violent conflicts, forced displacement and climate change, humanity is badly affected. We have to work towards achieving disaster risk reduction goals and further enhance global preparedness against disaster. The world has been talking about increasing investm...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* There are significant lessons that must be learned in order to navigate the future as the globe recovers from the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic brought with it. India is currently in charge of the G20, and as such, digital health innovation, achieving universal health coverage,...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* With the announcements coming from the European Union, Kazakhstan, Namibia, Egypt, Oman, and Kenya, green hydrogen took a centre stage at COP 27 last year. A green hydrogen revolution has begun to take shape as more and more nations have unveiled roadmaps, policies, and incentives. The...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The G20 India’s focus to cater to range of development challenges for the world has aroused global citizenry to actively look towards the forum’s leadership. Subsequently the C20 as a forum has progressively pushed for bringing a people-centric approach and cultivating sensitivity and...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Experts on disaster management suggest the adoption of integrated watershed management by advocating coordinated development planning at a watershed scale with collective endeavours by local administrations and other stakeholders. They also emphasize control through strict implementati...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Without a common international regulatory framework, we will not be able to address the global and increasing challenge of plastic pollution. There is an urgent need for change. The shocking photos we see of shores flooded with plastic waste should be a wake-up call. It will be up to u...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Participants in the WG meetings also discussed potential global benefit-sharing systems for the use of digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources. An informal advisory group contributed by developing policy alternatives that covered the entire gamut from bilateral to multi...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* This accord may be our final opportunity to stop the degradation of nature. As businesses and governments destroy our forests and prairies and warm the planet with greenhouse gases, ecosystems and the services they provide, like pollination for food crops, are disappearing. Currently,...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Shouldn’t the negotiations held during the Conference of the Parties meetings present an opportunity to adapt existing agreements to better capture topics of rising importance to both biodiversity and climate change, such as ocean carbon protection? A substantial opportunity exists now...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Now more than ever, the topic of climate change has been receiving global attention and is at the forefront of many conversations. In addition to altering environments, it also has a social impact. Extreme weather events have been happening more than ever in recorded history, disruptin...
Dr Arvind Kumar* The G20 has no parallel among intergovernmental forums that comprises of major developed as well as developing economies, thus offering a unique platform. The accession of India to the Presidency coincides with a turning point in world affairs. The political and economic challenges that...
ANALYSIS Dr. Arvind Kumar* Set against a difficult geopolitical backdrop, COP27 resulted in countries delivering a package of decisions that reaffirmed their commitment to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The package also strengthened action by countries...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* To reach the Net Zero destination, countries should plan large-scale interventions in 6 sectors i.e. energy and electricity, transport, urban design, industries, forestry and agriculture. The strategy should also involve focused research and development efforts aimed at developing clim...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The renewed political and financial commitment towards forest climate action shown at COP27 is creating a new momentum for REDD+. We need to realise that the climate crisis is just a symptom; our real problem is that human consumption and activity have exceeded the regenerative capacit...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Estimates suggest circular economy adoption in India will bring an annual benefit to a tune of Rs 40 lakh crore ($624 billion) in 2050 and reduce GHG emissions by 44 per cent. The recent focus on circular economy in the Union Budget puts India in the right direction; but the question...
Dr. Arvind Kumar The climate emergency continues to challenge existing norms and ways of working. The recent IPCC reports and the Global Assessment Report made it clear that climate impacts will further intensify, requiring us to transcend beyond conventional institutional silos and recalibrate gov...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Governments are more focused on energy security in the short-term, relying on low-hanging but risky alternatives, such as looking for new routes of fossil fuel supply, nuclear extensions, or coal revival. However, to improve the resilience of energy system against global energy trade s...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Biodiversity is vital to life on our planet. It is essentially the life support system for humanity. The biodiversity we see today is the result of 4.5 billion years of evolution, increasingly influenced by humans. Governments around the world recognized this at the Earth Summit in Bra...
OPINION 1.3 billion people still live in multidimensional poverty with almost half of them children and youth. Statistics show that 1.77 million Indians are homeless. Further, the true figure became larger in the post-COVID pandemic as many more people from the country’s lowest quarter got impacted. Dr....
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The world has witnessed climate change impacts in the form of rising temperatures, receding glaciers, drying rivers, reduction in wetlands and aberrant and untimely weather conditions causing natural calamities and loss of biodiversity. Scientists worldwide are looking at the ecologica...
SPECIAL REPORT Dr. Arvind Kumar* Metaphorically, the UN may well be “First among Equals”,its successes are indeed young relative to the colossal challenges of global governance that we confront. In an imperfect world; however,UNGA presented, in miniature, the world that may emerge in the future and demo...
*Dr. Arvind Kumar By 2050 the number of people living in cities will have nearly doubled, from 3.6 billion in 2011 to more than 6 billion. Yet the world’s urban areas are already overcrowded and, particularly in developing countries, who suffer from shortages of clean water, electricity, and other resou...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Air pollution harms our health, economies and the planet and is a global scale problem and one of the biggest contributors to climate change. The Climate crisis gets attention whenever people experience extreme weather conditions or face natural calamities. This year, the scorching hea...
AGENDA Dr. Arvind Kumar* Assumption of the Indian presidency of the G20 and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2023 and that of the UN Security Council in December 2022 takes place at a moment of unprecedented change and challenge when the Planet Earth is confronted with dominant concerns entail...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Water scarcity has particularly emerged as a highly critical and contentious issue within South Asia, one of the world’s most dynamic regions and home to nearly 1.9 billion people. It sits precariously on the front lines of the global climate crisis. Partway through 2022 and this...
REGIONAL COOPERATION-REPORT Dr. Arvind Kumar* The SCO declaration 2022 was a set of a mine run and promises and the proceedings were also banal. Yet, India’s participation was desirable and the visit of the Prime Minister was meaningful for India’s national interests and foreign policy goals. Geopolitic...
REPORT Shweta Tyagi* “Almost half of the world’s human population relies heavily on groundwater for survival, and as that population continues to grow, many more people will come to depend on this water source.” Gabriela Suhoschi, Director, World Water Week and Prizes, SIWI There is a lot more water i...
BLOG (COP 27) Dr. Arvind Kumar* Hence, it’s a Hobson’s choice to initiate a paradigm shift in agricultural development approaches and practices through regional collaboration, rekindling of development models, mainstreaming neglected traditional wise and spotlighting climate finance and technology trans...
Shweta Tyagi* The first half of this decade will be apparently remembered for deadly climate related catastrophes, among them, the great fires in Europe, Amazon wildfires, cyclones and storms in India and floods in Pakistan. The year 2020 was the Earth’s warmest tied with 2016 on record, continuing a lo...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* An era comes to an end as Queen Elizabeth passes away and leaves behind an unmatched legacy. Ironically the UK’s longest serving monarch, reigning for 70 years was not even expected to be the Queen. She had little chance of inheriting the kingdom until her uncle Edward VIII abdicated o...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* India’s assumption of the G20 presidency entails both challenges and opportunitiesand the present leadership of India is capable of meeting the challenges deftly and unlock opportunities for the benefit of humankind in general and India in particular. India dons the mantle of G20...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* When the world was recuperating from the damages done by the corona virus on our health and economy another scare of monkey pox is at our threshold. The issue of zoonotic diseases is a key emerging issue of global concern. The emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases are closely...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Undeniably, the formation of I2 U2 with India joining it along with Israel, the UAE and the US is a welcome development and the location of two ambitious projects on food security and energy security in India is also a welcome move; nevertheless, with the exception of India, other lead...
By Shweta Tyagi* The recently concluded G7 meet in Germany evince why the West may be adapting to accommodate the global South, particularly India. These trends have intensified in the face of lingering pandemic-induced disruptions and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Straddling both major multilateral o...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Plastic particles have not just pervaded throughout the environment, but are pervading our bodies too. A recent Dutch study examined blood samples from 22 healthy volunteers and found microplastics in nearly 80% of their bodies. This study contributes to the evidence that if it is in o...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Accelerating extreme events largely due to destabilised climate systems are something India will have to deal with head on – even if it chooses to park the issue of whether or not to raise its carbon reduction targets for now. The spectre of climate change is here to stay and eve...
World Environment Day – States/ UTs and Urban Local Bodies across the country will swing into campaign mode, in a bid to make the country free of single use plastic (SUP), as well as contribute to improving the environment, under the overarching mandate of “Clean and Green”. This comes on the heel...
A report on UNCCDCOP-15 Shweta Tyagi* 15th Session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – Land Life Legacy: From Scarcity to Prosperity The biennial meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP), the main decision making body of the Unite...
*Deepak Lakahnpal & Dr. S.K. Sharma Abstract A multi-stage process is recommendable towards determining economic feasibility of potential MAR projects. Various steps include (i) establishing feasibility of suitable potential aquifers to recharge,(ii) quantity and quality of source recharge water and...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* In a world increasingly impacted by geostrategic shifts, ideological rivalry and fractured power has the pragmatic foreign policy of PM Modi enabled India to emerge as a significant global player and translate into diplomatic win as well? Seeing the tone and tenor of PM Modi’s re...
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the fourth edition of the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure via video message today. The session was also addressed by the Hon. Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister of Australia, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuf...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Water is fundamental to all biotic life, including human life, on Earth, despite it being a finite and irreplaceable resource, and is only renewable if adequately managed. Apart from being a catalyser for the diminution of the global burden of disease and improving health, welfare and...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Rural development is often construed in terms of a procedure of facilitating improvement in the quality of life and economic well-being of the people inhabiting rural areas, which are often relatively isolated and sparsely populated. The exploitation of land-intensive natural resources...
Ms. Neha Chaudhary, IRS* “Climate change is the defining crisis of our time and it is happening even more quickly than we feared” states the United Nations. The climate change conference at Glasgow in 2021, COP26, has provided hopes for limiting the devastation caused all over the world by e...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Sri Lanka, an island nation inhabited by 22 million people with having tourism-based economy is currently in the throes of a worsening economic crisis of unprecedented nature since its independence. Public frustration has been soaring high amid sudden shortages in fuel, cooking gas, an...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The close linguistic, marital, religious and cultural ties at people-to-people level between India and Nepal have remain there since times immemorial. Even trade relations between India and Nepal have made rapid strides in recent years. In the fiscal year 2019-2020, Nepal accounted for...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The release of the IPCC’s latest report on April 4, the third and final part of the IPCC’s thorough review of climate science, has suggested that greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025, and can nearly be halved by the close of the current decade. The avowed objective is to limit gl...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The latest report of the IPCC endeavours to tackle the ticklish question of how humankind is expected to join hands as a species to fix the prevalent climate mess. The IPCC assessment explicitly makes it clear that humanity is well-equipped to deal with climate change; nonetheless, it...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Recently-held 5th BIMSTEC Summit (29-30 March), apart from adopting a charter has also concurred on enhancing mutual cooperation in several areas that entail the potential of opening up new vistas of cooperation in several areas, thereby helping BIMSTEC explore new horizons as a vibran...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Wildfires are wreaking havoc on the environment, wildlife, human health, and infrastructure from Australia to Canada, the United States to China, across Europe, and the Amazon. Wildfires are fast becoming a recurring phenomenon often occurring with more intensity, and extreme fires are...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The current and rapidly evolving geopolitical global situation, especially in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has seemingly been instrumental in envisaging complex and intensifying dilemmas that entail the potential of exacerbating the pall of uncertainty over the exi...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* On average, 1,000,000 plastic bottles are bought every minute worldwide, and less than half of all plastic bottles end up getting recycled, and besides, plastic water bottles release toxic chemicals when they get decomposed. From deep-sea sediment to Mount Everest, no area on the plane...
The Indian government is participating in a big way at the 9th World Water Forum. The Prime Minister is being represented by a high-level delegation under the hon’ble minister of Jalshakti Sh. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat including officials from the ministry, Wapcos Ltd, Government of India undertaking, un...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Safari is a Swahili word· meaning ‘Journey’ which has become· synonymous with Big Game viewing in both Africa and India. It is probably for this reason· that the perception· is that both continents conduct· safaris and wildlife con...
The Webinar will discuss the initiatives of the Government of India in the energy and resources sector including the Budget 2022 announcements and to elicit ideas and suggestions for effective implementation of these initiatives. The Sectoral Group on Resources comprising Ministries of Power; Petroleum...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Even if emissions are cut as promised in the Paris Agreement levels, there is the likelihood that many parts of northern and coastal India reaching dangerously wet-bulb temperatures of over 310 C towards the end of the present century. Under RCP 8.5, denoting a high emissions scenario...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Trans-boundary Cooperation It is worth mentioning here that the Indus Water Treaty, signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, allocates all the waters of the eastern rivers – Sutlej, Beas and Ravi – amounting to nearly 33 million acre feet (MAF) annually to India for unrestricted use;...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The ongoing Ukrainian crisis does not augur well for global peace and security because its geopolitical and geo-economic implications entail the potential of affecting almost the entire international community, albeit in varying degrees. Apart from ushering in an era of political insta...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* High hopes are often pegged at increased budgetary allocations each time as and when a budget is presented and in an eventuality of decreased allocations, the probability of pessimism is bound to loom large and so has been the case with the 2022 budget that makes a good reading with di...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* With Ukraine and Taiwan hogging limelight as the most dangerous hotspots entailing the potential of triggering the Third World War because of increasing tensions between the United States and Russia over Russian military manoeuvres on Ukraine on the one hand, and between the US and Chi...
Dr Arvind Kumar* Plenty of optimism seemingly lurks in the Economic Survey 2021-2022 tabled by the union finance minister in Parliament on 31 January projecting India to retain its tag of the world’s fastest-growing economy in the fiscal year commencing from April 2022 by registering an 8- 8.5 percent g...
DISCUSSION Dr Arvind Kumar* Utterances in the global forums like COP26 or Davos 2022 call for innovative and pragmatically feasible ideas, some of which may entail the potential of getting fructified in the real world or some may just spur support to other prevalent ideas, and others may end in fiasco....
OPINION Dr. Arvind Kumar* [This is a necessitated reform for a Democracy like India where the need for stable government would definitely bring Development prospects. The focus of respective parties should move beyond the rhetoric mere from winning elections towards good governance. This basically...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* People of Afghanistan are reeling under woeful plight in socio-economic, political, and security terms since the hasty withdrawal of US-led Allied Forces from the Afghan soil and the rapid manner of the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban. The Taliban had been cautioned by internati...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Women constitute half of total global population and they entail the potential of playing pivotal role in furthering growth and the goal of sustainable development. However, prevalent gender inequality deprives the bulk of the half population from making their contribution to mainstrea...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* India is the land of villages as rightly said by Mahatma Gandhi “I would say that if the village perishes India will perish too. India will be no more India.”The notion of rural development has come to be construed as the process of improving the quality of life and economic well being...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Cities are fast emerging as the major hub of sustainable development activities and are destined to play very important role in the realization of sustainable development goals (SDGs). History is witness to the fact that cities have played a significant role in the emergence and growth...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* The fashion value chain is of global importance, with millions of jobs attached to it, generating foreign exchange revenue in many developing countries and providing goods essential for human welfare. According to a report published the clothing industry consumes around 79 billion cubi...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Prime Minister Modi’s clarion call to the farming community to adopt natural farming is very timely. Asserting that maximum benefits from natural farming can accrue to small farmers owning less than two-hectare land and who comprise 80 per cent of the total farmers in the country, PM M...
*Dr. Arvind Kumar The rugged landscapes and dramatic scenery, striking landmarks and freezing weather are what gives Scotland its particular charm. Staying at Edinburgh and commuting to Glasgow to attend the UNFCCC COP 26 along with Mr. Donald Wahlang Additional Chief Secretary, Environment and Forest D...
Editor’s Desk* A pall of uncertainty that had descended on the inaugural day of the commencement of COP26 in the absence of clear-cut announcements, especially from biggest emitting countries with regard to their commitments on net-zero goal, was unveiled by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi t...
Higher expectations and lofty aspirations are always at place prior to the convening of a global conference like the Conference Of Parties (COP), especially on the burning issues pertaining to climate change that in reality pose existential threats to the very survival of humankind. COP is held ev...
FGR Bureau Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi availed of the occasion of his visit to Rome, Italy, where he had gone to participate in the 16th Summit Meeting of the G20, to pay a visit to Holy See or the Vatican City and meet Pope Francis, and this visit has proved instrumental in further consolidating...
Dr. Arvind Kumar* Group of Twenty or G20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that aims at improving international economic status by coordinating important global financial institutions like IMF, World Bank and the World Trade Organization (WTO). G20 members, int...
Latest UNEP Emissions Gap Report finds new and updated Nationally Determined Contributions only take 7.5% off predicted 2030 emissions, while 55% is needed to meet the 1.5°C Paris goal Latest climate promises for 2030 put the world on track for a temperature rise this century of at least 2.7°C Net-zero...
Geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific region in general and South Asia in particular has undergone tremendous transformation in the aftermath of the formation of the Quad and AUKUS in the Indo-Pacific region and withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan and emergence of Taliban at the helm of Afghan affa...
On road to COP-26 India has been participating in the COPs actively and adhering to the decisions taken at each COP and making sincere efforts to incorporate the leading decisions in its national policies. The COP-26 that was scheduled to be held in 2020 had to be postponed in the wake of global spread...
By Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation Glasgow (UK) is going to be the focal point of attention and attraction where an upcoming gathering comprising about 25, 000 people – representing heads of state and government, diplomats, scientists, civil society organizations and non-governmental...
By Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation In the ‘New Normal’ that has come to prevail in the wake of subsiding of the adverse impacts of COVID-19, the virtual meetings at national, regional and global levels are gradually being replaced by in-person meetings. Recent months have witnessed f...
By Dr Arvind Kumar The Indo-Pacific region is characterized by the emergence of Quad and now coming into being of the AUKUS, also designated as Asian NATO, comprising Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, has proved instrumental in adding a new dimension to this characterization. Viewed...
By India Water Foundation This report presents the global status on transboundary cooperation and acceleration needed to achieve target 6.5 by 2030, based on the latest data on indicator 6.5.2. In the first reporting cycle held in 2017-2018, 107 out of 153 countries sharing transboundary waters responde...
Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation The IUCN World Conservation Congress, the world’s largest and most inclusive environmental decision-making forum concluded in Marseille, France, with an address by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.The IUCN Congress focused on three main themes:...
The water community plays a central role in nature conservation efforts. On the occasion of the World Conservation Congress, which brings together world leaders, the World Water Council (WWC), the International Office for Water (IOWater), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the International Network of Bas...
By Dr Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation Picturesque and enchanting, Kashmir is cradled high in the lofty green Himalayas and hailed all over the world for its incredible natural beauty. Surrounded by mountain peaks, lush green valleys, glistening lakes, temples and spectacular Mughal-era g...
*Dr. K. Balachandra Kurup[1] *Dr. Balan is a Governance and institutional development expert with more than four decades of working experience in Policy, Governance, Social development, Water resources, WASH, Solid waste management sector (35 years in South Asia and 15 years in Middle East and North Afr...
Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation The G20 recently held Ministerial Meetings at the end of July, 2021. Italy currently holds the Presidency of the G20. Italy’s Presidency’s agenda rotates around three pillars- People Planet and Prosperity. The G20 will culminate in Rome on October 30th...
The Indian states with the highest fertility rates also have the lowest socioeconomic indicators. As India’s population crossed 1390 million population as of July 2021 and the global population of 7.9 billion and projected to be 9.74 billion by 2050 the world is now facing the impacts of population grow...
*Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation Only in India we are liberal with the health concerns, Will you eat this Wheat? the Supreme Court asked while refusing to entertain pre-arrest bail pleas of two Madhya Pradesh-based businessmen who are accused in a food adulteration case. Among man’s...
Joint Statement to the 14th session/ Regional meetings of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples13 July, 2021 (Asia)By Gam A. ShimrayOn behalf of Asia Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus Respected chair. I am presenting this statement on behalf of the Asia IP Caucus to provide EMRIP with a situ...
According to the draft, the government will offer fiscal incentives for EV buyers. This will be based on the model of vehicles. By Sudhir Suryawanshi | Express News Service |Published: 14th July 2021 08:19 AM MUMBAI: The Maharashtra environment ministry, headed by Aaditya Thackeray, has prepared a dra...
PIB: BRICS Nations have unanimously agreed on an innovation co-operation at the 11th BRICS S&T Steering Committee Meeting. The proposal put forward by India would be considered at the BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Entrepreneurship (STIEP) working group for elaborating the action plan. The...
PIB: Snow and glaciers are melting rapidly in the Himalayan range due to climate change, altering water supplies in the rivers like Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra in the Himalaya-Karakoram (HK) ranges. The HK region in South Asia, often called the water tower of Asia or the Third Pole is one of the most h...
IUCN NEWS: IUCN, the official advisor on nature to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, recommends adding four natural sites to the List of World Heritage in Danger: the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex in Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger, the Natural and Cultural Heritage of th...
by Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation India’s geographical setting render it a key player in the South-East Asian region in water sharing, with neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China and Myanmar. Interestingly, India’s relationships with her neighbours, bec...
Member (Health), NITI Aayog, Dr. V. K. Paul has informed that India has administered nearly 81 lakh vaccine doses, on the first day when the Revised Guidelines for COVID Vaccination came into force. A Sign of India’s ability to Vaccinate at Scale Speaking to DD News, he said that the day one vaccinatio...
PIB: On the occasion of seventh International yoga day, The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra talked of Yoga’s role during the pandemic. He said Yoga has proved a source strength and poise for people during this difficult time. He pointed out that it was easy for countries to forget Yoga Day during the pa...
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi delivered a keynote address at the UN “High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought” today via video conference. The Prime Minister spoke at the Opening Segment in his capacity as the President of the 14th Session of the Conference of Parti...
Land degradation from climate change and the expansion of agriculture, cities and infrastructure “undermines the well-being of 3.2 billion people”, the UN chief said on Wednesday in his message for World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. UN NEWS: “Humanity is waging a relentless, self-destruct...
PIB: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) on “Deep Ocean Mission”, with a view to explore deep ocean for resources and develop deep sea technologies for sustainable use of ocean...
By Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation While we can successfully restore biodiversity, structure, and function to a degraded ecosystem, ecological restoration is not a substitute for conservation, nor should the promise of restoration be used to justify destruction or unsustainable use....
Proud moment for #IndiaWaterFoundation to be showcased as one of the four best civil societies in the world for their #climateactionstory that inspires others, benefits the #planet and its positive impact provide hope for the future. Congratulations to the #peopleofMeg...
by Shweta Tyagi, Chief Functionary, India Water Foundation Biodiversity (biological diversity), is the abundance of living things that make up life on Earth (UNEP, 2020). Biodiversity ensures that we have fertile soil, as well as a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables that we should eat. It...
By Prof Ajit Tyagi, Honorary Patron & Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, India Water Foundation Prof. Ajit Tyagi is Honorary Patron and Chairman Climate Change Committee of India Water Foundation. He has served asDirector General of Meteorology, India Meteorological Department and Assistan...
By Afroz Ahmad* Formerly Advisor to the Government of Maharashtra & Formerly Member (Environment and Rehabilitation), Narmada Control Authority , Government of India Dr. Afroz Ahmad is Environmental Scientist, Academician, Development Administrator and a Civil Servant. He p...
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) The 2021 World Water Development Report on “Valuing Water” assesses the current status of, and challenges to, the valuation of water across different sectors and perspectives, and identifies ways in which valuation can be promoted...
United Nations Environmental Programme This report provides the bedrock for hope. By bringing together the latest scientific evidence showing the impacts and threats of the climate emergency, the biodiversity crisis and the pollution that kills millions of people every year, it makes clear that our war...
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) As water is the most disruptive element in the ongoing climate crisis, how land is managed plays a major role in taming this disruption. This publication shows that avoiding, reducing and reversing land degradation can have positive long-term g...
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) The establishment of a global target on LDN within the SDG framework is also expected. This will provide a way forward for the future activities of UNCCD and certainly encourage the Parties to the UNCCD to take a bold step toward a ‘Target Sett...
Food and Agriculture organisation (FAO) This report constitutes a further step towards bridging persistent knowledge gaps and fostering a better understanding of how agriculture is affected by disasters. Their growing frequency and intensity, along with the systemic nature of risk, are jeopardizing our...
United Nations Environmental Programme Sanitation, Wastewater Management and Sustainability: From Waste Disposal to Resource Recovery offers a new conceptual framework for planning and investing in sustainable systems, centring on resource recovery and reuse. It examines the social, governance, economic...
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) The Global Methane Assessment is working to better characterize the benefits of methane reductions with state-of-the-art modelling, and to document the multiple benefits that could be realized through methane reductions with examples including near-term techni...
By Dr S. K. Sharma1, 1 Retd. Member,Central Ground Water Board, Government of India, Consultant, WAPCOS and Principal Advisor, India Water Foundation, Ms Shuchi Mishra2 , Engineer, 2WAPCOS Ltd, Govt. of India undertaking under Ministry of Jal Shakti, India Dr. Sharma received M,Sc (Geolog...
By Mr. M Mehta, Former Commissioner, Ministry of Water Resources Govt. of India, New Delhi More than 46 years of experience in planning, implementation monitoring and supervision of projects/schemes related to ground water exploration/development, Rain Water Harvesting and Artificial Recharge to G...
By Ms. Kavita Prasad Kavita is a documentation consultant and an experienced environmental science writer.She is the Founder of KGenesis and Chemeric Biotech P. Ltd. She also serves on the advisory board of the India Water Foundation. She is best known for her simplified and sensitive writing skill, rap...
By Ananya Malik, Junior Researcher , India Water Foundation Turtles are reptiles that have been roaming the earth for over 150 million years. Turtles have played and still play an important role in our oceans by maintaining the ecosystem and keeping it in balance. They are very unique vertebrates that h...
By FGR Bureau There is no need to explain the importance of trees in our lives. History shows that the best of Indian cultures originated in the forests. It was believed back then that planting trees were considered as noble acts and that deforestation could have adverse effects on the local climate. Bu...
By Shweta Tyagi, Chief Functionary India Water Foundation Eco-Sensitive Zones or Ecologically Fragile Areas are areas within 10 kms around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries (Prakash, 2018). Eco sensitive zone observes the cultural and natural history of the biodiversity hotspot th...
UN NEWS (26 May 2021, Health): भारत में संयुक्त राष्ट्र की रैज़िडेण्ट कोऑर्डिनेटर, रेनाटा डेज़ालिएन ने कहा है कि देश में कोविड-19 संक्रमण की दूसरी लहर और वायरस के फैलाव की तेज़ रफ़्तार ने सभी को हैरान कर दिया है. इससे सबक़ लेकर सम्भावित तीसरी लहर के लिये तैयारियों को पुख़्ता बनाना होगा. उन्होंने यूएन .....
UN NEWS Humanity is “waging a war on nature”, threatening biodiversity loss, climate disruption and escalating pollution, the UN chief said on Friday. “We will all be losers if we don’t achieve peace with the planet”, Secretary-General António Guterres told a webinar ahead of the In...
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Government of India #UnitedNations75andBeyond #DrHarsh VardhanUnionMinisterforHealthandFamilyWelfareScienceandTechnologyandEarthSciencesGovernmentofIndia #FGR #UnitedNationsOrganisation #COVID19...
UN NEWS Countries are on track to miss the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relating to environmental protection, two UN entities warn in new report issued on Saturday to coincide with the International Day for Biological Diversity. Despite making progress in areas such as clean water, sanitation,...
Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation With the world still combating the most unprecedented global health crisis on score of sheer scale, India is reeling under the pressure of providing access to the fundamental human right to health to its population. Isn’t the strain on public healthcar...
WHO NEWS: https://www.who.int/news/item/17-05-2021-long-working-hours-increasing-deaths-from-heart-disease-and-stroke-who-ilo Long working hours led to 745 000 deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease in 2016, a 29 per cent increase since 2000, according to the latest estimates by the World Health...
International Development and IWRM Expert Dr. Julie LADEL has completed her PhD in Applied Hydrology from Paris University and is the director of EAUDYSSEY. She has been implementing strategic international water management programmes for organizations such as UNESCO, EU/AU, African Development Bank, Ge...
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force | Odisha A Natural Resource Management Professional belonging to 1984 batch of IFS he has multi-disciplinary exposure in Geomatics & Information technology. Dr. Tripathi was a member of the Climate Change Subgroup of Government of Ind...
Secretary General | International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) Shri A.B. Pandya, in his long distinguished service encompassing all aspects of water resources sector, has provided mentorship and led the large water resources engineering community towards a sustainable and rational develo...
A report on the concluded Leaders Summit on Climate “Mother Nature is not waiting; we need a green planet — but the world is on red alert.” Said UN Secretary-General, António Guterres at the opening of the two-day Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by United States on World Earth Day. After fulfilling his...
Executive Director | United Nations Global Compact Network India Ms. Shabnam Siddiqui is Officiating Executive Director at the United Nations Global Compact Network India. An academic practitioner with twenty-four years of experience, Shabnam specializes in developing and executing strategic interventio...
Director and Advisory Board Secretary | Climate Technology Centre & Network Dr. Rose Mwebaza (PhD) is the Director of CTCN and brings 20 years’ experience providing policy advice on a wide range of climate change, environment and sustainable development issues. She has previously served as Chief Nat...
Increased frequencies of extreme climate events are alarming for the entire South Asia region that is sensitive to ongoing climate changes. South Asia region is world’s most densely populated area and home to more than 500 million poor people of the world. Region is also one of the mega-diversity...
News 18 India : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched for concrete action at a “high speed” and on a large scale to combat climate change, and asserted that India was doing its part to deal with the challenge. Addressing a US-hosted virtual summit of 40 global leaders, Modi also said su...
Director General | International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) Dr. Pema Gyamtsho is the Director General of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) an intergovernmental knowledge organization dedicated to mountains and people of the Hindu Kush Himalaya...
Don’t you feel in addition to socio-economic determinants of human health, the impact of environmental, climate, ecosystem change and degradation on health should be increasingly recognized? Clean and safe drinking Water and Healthand nutrition is a fundamental human right and a key indicator of sustain...
UN Assistant Secretary-General and Head of New York Office at UNEP |Secretary of the UN Environment Management Group Mr. Satya S. Tripathi is UN Assistant Secretary-General, Head of New York Office at UNEP and Secretary of the UN Environment Management Group. A development economist and lawyer with...
Secretary | DST |Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India Mr. Ashutosh Sharma is Secretary to the Government of India since January 2015, heading the Department of Science and Technology (DST), where he helped initiate several new programs related to: infrastructure and human capacity b...
Head | UN Environment Country Office, India Mr. Atul Bagai joined UN Environment’s Ozone Action programme under the Montreal Protocol as the Regional Officer for South Asia in 2000 and served as Senior Regional Coordinator to build the capacity of subregional networks in Asia and enable them to meet the...
UNNEWS: The world is “a long way off” from meeting the goals of the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the President of the crucial upcoming UN climate conference, COP26, said on Thursday. British politician Alok Sharma was speaking during a global discussion on the ‘green’ transition in sector...
Chief of Development Operations | JICA India Office | New Delhi| Mr. M P Singh, Chief of Development Operations, JICA India Office was former Development Officer in the Ministry of Chemicals &Fertilizers, Government of India resigned in 1996. Departing from such a secured position to a new field of...
Director & Head | South and South-West Asia Office | United Nations ESCAP Dr. Nagesh Kumar is Director and Head of South and South-West Asia Office, of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) based in New Delhi. He has previously served as Chief Economis...
UN NEWS: Climate change and loss of biodiversity is seen as the most pressing challenge over the decade, according to the World in 2030 Survey report published on Wednesday by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). More than 15,000 people worldwide contributed to the survey,...
Secretary |Ministry of Women and Child Development | Government of India Mr. Ram Mohan Mishra, Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development. He has over 30 years of experience as an Indian Administrative Service officer having worked in the field of General Administratio...
President | World Water Council Mr. Loïc Fauchon is President of the World Water Councilsince 2018 after having previously served two mandates from 2005 to 2012. After graduatinginpolitical sciences in 1970, he worked as a civil servant for French local authorities including as Secretary General to the...
Executive Secretary | Convention on Biological Diversity Ms. Elizabeth MarumaMrema, is the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Ms. Mrema has worked with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) for over two decades and was the Director of the Law Division at UNEP which is also resp...
Director General |NMCG | Ministry of Jal Shakti | Government of India Mr. Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India. With a demonstrated history of more than 30 yearsas an Indian Administrative officer, Skilled in Sustainable Dev...
Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation In the last three decades alone, nearly one-third of natural wetlands have been lost to urbanization, agriculture expansion and pollution. The loss of wetlands in urban areas has been more rapid. Data from 26 cities and towns show that since 1970s, for...
Born on 27th January 1978, Dr. Conrad K. Sangma is the 12th Chief Minister of Meghalaya. His vision for Meghalaya was shaped extensively by the ideals of his late father in national and state politics. A leader with vision and farsightedness, he embarked on a mission to take Meghalaya forward...
Nairobi, 23 February 2021 –Ministers of environment and other leaders from more than 150 nations today concluded a two-day online meeting of the Fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in which the Assembly warned that the world risks new pandemics if we don’t change how we saf...
Delhi receives at least 232 MGD (million gallons per day) water through the Nangal channel, which helps meet the city’s 25% water requirement, which is estimated to be 935 MGD. Hindustan Times: By Soumya Pillai UPDATED ON FEB 26, 2021 05:38 AM IST The closure of Nangal hydel channel will cause an “unpre...
20 February 2021 | SDGs UN NEWS: In Zambia, where the climate crisis is making it increasingly difficult to earn a living, goat-rearing is being seen as a possible route to a better livelihood, and economic resilience. When Sylvia Chiinda’s husband died, she was left to raise seven children on her own....
By Shweta Tyagi, Chief Functionary, India Water Foundation In a tragic turn of events in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, the Nandadevi glacier broke earlier today, washing away houses near the Dhauliganga river. Over 100 are missing as rescue operations are underway. Hundreds of Indo-Tibetan Borde...
Post Source/Credit: ETV Bharat, Published on: Feb 2021, 10:59 PM IST Having taken notes from the Uttarakhand disaster, Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) has decided to sign an MoU with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to minimise the carbon emission to ensure low carbon pathway...
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti and India Water Foundation (IWF), celebrated World Wetland Day 2021, to raise awareness about conservation and rejuvenation of Wetlands. Shri Rattan Lal Kataria, MoS Jal Shakti Ministry while emphasising the integral role of wetlands in the...
Analysis by Shweta Tyagi, Chief Functionary, India Water Foundation and Amritha J, Intern, India Water Foundation INTRODUCTION The COVID 19 virus has caused an unprecedented impact on most of the countries in the world and has spread to 4 million peoples worldwide. It has caused more than 3.5 lakh death...
Each year the World Economic Forum publishes a report looking ahead to the short term and long term risks facing organizations around the world. The 2021 Global Risks Report has now been published, alongside a call for the world to ‘wake up to long term risks’. The report says that in 2020, the world sa...
Though countries have made progress in planning for climate change adaptation, there are significant financing shortfalls in getting them to the stage where they provide real protection against droughts, floods and rising sea levels, a new UN environment report has found. According to the 2020 Adaptati...
By Abraham Thomas PUBLISHED ON Hindustan Times, JAN 14, 2021 05:18 AM IST The bench noted that the Constitution and judicial decisions of the past have given municipalities the mandate of setting up sewage treatment plants (STPs) and stopping effluents from reaching surface water. The Supreme Court on W...
Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation “The goal is to find the most appropriate blend of green and blue investments to maximize benefits and system efficiency while minimizing costs and trades offs. We do not yet fully recognize and incorporate the importance of ecosystem services in plann...
WASHINGTON DC, December 15, 2020 — The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a $400 million projectto support India’s efforts at providing social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households, severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second operation in a programmati...
While lakhs of poultry were reported dead from Haryana, migratory birds died in Himachal Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh, hundreds of crows were found dead in the last one week. Himachal Pradesh became the fifth state in India to have confirmed bird flu cases in the last week. This comes after the same virus...
The global food system is causing large‐scale environmental degradation and is a major contributor to climate change. Its low diversity and failure to produce enough fruits and vegetables is contributing to a global health crisis. The extraordinary diversity of tropical tree species is increasingly reco...
Digital Ocean is a big step towards Digital India, will help expand ‘Blue Economy’ and promote Atmanirbhar Bharat: Dr Harsh Vardhan PIB: The Minister of Earth Sciences, Science & Technology, andHealth & Family WelfareDr.Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the web-based application “Digital Ocean (www.do....
Nairobi/Colombo, 17 December 2020 – From source to sea, our waters are contaminated by a plastics scourge. A new study by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) offers a number of technological solutions aimed at tackling one of the world’s most...
Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangthan to undertake ‘Catch the Rain’ awareness campaign covering 623 districts across the nation from December 2020 to March 2021. PIB: National Water Mission(NWM), Ministry of Jal Shakti in collaboration with Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports...
#SDGAction37039 Description of Acceleration Action Objectives: Promoting Water as a socio-economic connector in everyday lives, utilization of science and nature as a key indicator to disseminate awareness and temper and raise capacity building of the people Catalyst for developing a common strategic ac...
DESCRIPTION OF GOOD PRACTICE Introduction The Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Promotion (IBDLP) Programme was launched by the Government of Meghalaya as its flagship programme in 2012 to create a institutional ecosystem for ecologically sustainable and inclusive development in Meghalaya. It...
India figured in the bottom third for most development indicators, including quality of health and education and an adverse sex ratio, according to the report. Zia Haq Hindustan Times, New Delhi |Updated: Dec 17, 2020, 02:06 IST India has dropped two spots on the Human Development Index, according to th...
Bhopal, December 7 The historical fort cities of Gwalior and Orchha in Madhya Pradesh have been included in the list of UNESCOs world heritage cities under its urban landscape city programme, according to the state government. An official of the government’s public relations department on Monday s...
About this contentKaren McVeigh@karenmcveigh1Mon 7 Dec 2020 09.12 GMT Companies accused of “zero progress” on reducing plastic waste, with Coca-Cola ranked No 1 for most littered products Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé have been accused of “zero progress” on reducing plastic waste, after being named the...
Dechen Palmo Updated: Dec 05, 2020, 20:46 IST The timing of the announcement to build a “super dam” on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo river close to the LAC can be linked to the ongoing border tensions, which is rooted in China’s refusal to acknowledge the McMahon Line Last week, China announce...
A staggering two-thirds of world’s school-aged children – 1.3 billion children aged 3-17 – do not have internet connection in their homes, preventing them from learning vital skills needed to compete in the modern economy, a new UN report has revealed. The UNICEF–ITU report How Man...
New Delhi, Dec 2 (PTI) Delhi’s air quality was in the upper end of the very poor category Wednesday morning, while pollution levels have already entered the severe zone in the neighbouring cities of Ghaziabad and Greater Noida. The city’s air quality index (AQI) was 381 at 9 am. The 24-...
UNEP (2020-06-24) India Water Foundation of Potential response options pursuant to subparagraph 10 (d) of UNEA resolution 3/7 MEETING REPORT/PROCEEDINGS URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11822/32837 India Water Foundation of Potential response options pursuant to subparagraph 10 (d) of UNEA re...
Summary of Takeaways to be incorporated within the framework of climate change The need for vigorous incorporation of interactions and joint implementation of the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030 calls to disrupt sectoral thinking and subsequently make a decisive contribution in terms of driving sustaina...
Striking lack of progress on environmental SDGs in Asia-Pacific, reveals new UN report There is overwhelming evidence that the Asia-Pacific region needs to accelerate action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and substantiallyreverse current negative trends, especially those which are depleting...
By Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Risingeconomicprosperity and poverty reduction may not tell the whole story of progress in Asia and the Pacific.Telling signs in the natura...
