Down To Earth | Latest news, opinion, analysis on environment & science issues

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2024: THERE IS NO PLANET B

The globe observes another environment day in the shadow of war, displacement and the climate emergency

Environment

World Environment Day 2024: India needs new imagination in design of its development schemes, says Sunita Narain

Ground-level governance institutions must be strengthened, in addition to allowing increased feedback and accountability

SAVE EARTH

Climate Change

‘Climate crunch time’: Battle to secure planet’s future will be won or lost in next 18 months, says Antonio Guterres

UN chief urges countries to slash emissions, protect people and nature from climate extremes, boost climate finance and clamp down on fossil fuel industry

NEWS AND VIEWS

Climate Change

UNESCO’s State of Ocean Report highlights key knowledge gaps in research & data on spiking oceanic warming

Report calls for need to provide regular data on how ocean warming is evolving and its …

Climate Change

Bonn Climate Conference 2024: Stage set for new climate finance goal enroute to Baku

Experts and diplomats met for the second round of this year’s technical discussions …

Environment

World Environment Day 2024: India needs new imagination in design of its development schemes, says Sunita Narain

Ground-level governance institutions must be strengthened, in addition to allowing …

Governance

Poor countries need $1.4 trillion annually for universal social protection: ILO

Africa faces the most significant challenge in achieving universal social protection coverage. Photo: iStock

Over half of GDP needed for social protection in low-income nations; essential health care …

Governance

From 1989-2023, 60,465 people have died due to violence in India: Uppsala University

59 conflicts took place last year involving countries, the highest since Uppsala began …

Science & Technology

Ancient rocks reveal Earth had life-supporting conditions 4 billion years ago

Fresh water and dry land are the two crucial ingredients for life. Photo: iStock

Study of ancient zircon crystals reveals early interaction of water and land, challenging …

Africa

Fortress Conservation in Tanzania: Country faces balancing act as eco-policies threaten indigenous peoples & biodiversity

Fortress Conservation in Tanzania: Country faces delicate balancing act as eco-policies threaten indigenous peoples & biodiversity

Indigenous communities like the Maasai & Hadzabe are locked in a perilous struggle as …

Africa

Nearly 25% of land in Africa has been damaged — what’s to blame, and what can be done

Fynbos biome, which covers large parts of South Africa’s Western Cape province, has …

NDA IS BACK, BUT SO IS ‘INDIA’

Catch all the election coverage through an environmental lens with Down To Earth

RJD candidate Sudhakar Singh (Right) is widely recognised for his advocacy of farmers’ rights. Photo: @_Sudhaker_singh / X (Formerly Twitter)

news

Verdict 2024: Ignoring farmers’ demands & police action over power plant land compensation cost BJP Buxar Lok Sabha seat

Similar to Punjab, the rural population in Haryana didn’t let BJP candidates enter the villages to campaign for votes. Photo: Vikas Choudhary / CSE

news

Verdict 2024: Farmers’ angst clearly caused BJP’s retreat from India’s agrarian belt

Upset over the onion export ban, Deola taluka in Maharashtra had shut doors to Lok Sabha campaigning.

news

Verdict 2024: Poll results in Maharashtra’s onion belt reflect farmer fury for BJP

blog

A vocal for local verdict

2024 general election result counting in progress by Rajasthan State Election Commission. Photo: Chief Electoral Officer, Rajasthan @CeoRajasthan / X (formerly Twitter)

news

Why did 2024 Lok Sabha predictions miss the mark? Here’s the science behind exit polls

news

Verdict 2024: Farmers in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur vote in INDIA bloc over Cauvery water scarcity, drought & MSP

news

Verdict 2024: Did farmer grievances about paddy MSP lead to BJD’s defeat in Odisha?

news

Verdict 2024: Odisha’s women may have helped tilt scales in state against BJD, say experts

Filling vacancies in public employment & regularizing all workers, especially women, should be priority of new government

blog

Filling public employment vacancies & regularising all workers, especially women, should be new government’s priority

Videos

Food

The Green Kitchen: What is the true culinary potential of jackfruit?

From its impressive nutritional profile to its surprising culinary potential, discover why jackfruit deserves a spot in your kitchen

Environment

The Sunita Narain Show: World Environment Day 2024 Special on agenda for new government

Climate Change

Extreme heatwave conditions continue to persist over several parts of India

Climate Change

More than 2,000 believed to be buried alive in Papua New Guinea landslide

Wildlife & Biodiversity

Goolar: The wonder flower which you should know about

Climate Change

Cyclone Remal causes chaos in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India: What we know so far

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CSE Online Training Courses

The Plastic Lifecycle

Online Training on Understanding Environmental Laws for Better Environmental Management

Integrated Online and Onsite Training on Environmental Impact Assessment

Online training course New approaches to air quality data analytics and pollution source assessment for better air quality management

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Hands-on laboratory training for working professionals infaecal sludge Management

Sustainable Solid Waste Management With Special Focus on waste treatment and processing to Strengthen Implementation of SBM 2.0

Demystifying Environmental and Sustainability Data for Effective Communication in the 21st Century

Onsite Training Program on Low Carbon Pathways for Industrial Sectors

Integrated online and residential training: Lake Rejuvenation and Groundwater Management in Urban Areas

Residential Training on Water Efficiency and Conservation (WEC) in Urban India

Residential Training on Social Impact Assessment

Three Day Residential Training: Compressed Biogas (CBG): Potential, Technology, Policy, Operations and Economics

Cartoons

Photo Gallery

The iconic red dog or Asiatic wild dog, the dhole (Cuon alpinus) has been at the receiving end of human actions till now. But recent years have slowly peeled away layers of ignorance regarding the species. There has been a substantial increase in the scie

Wildlife & Biodiversity

World Dhole Day 2024: Are things looking up for Asia’s red dogs?

Recent years have seen a host of new research on the elusive canid; many range countries now working on national plans

On May 2, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly declared May 24 as the ‘International Day of the Markhor’, after the iconic and ecologically significant wild goat (Capra falconeri) found across the mountainous regions of Central and South Asia. The fi

Wildlife & Biodiversity

Markhor: The world’s largest wild goat now has a day of its own

The UN declared May 24 as ‘International Day of the Markhor’ on May 2, citing its iconic and economic importance

Environment

Ghazipur landfill fire: Annual choking hazard for Delhi

Authorities have missed multiple deadlines to clear out the legacy waste from Ghazipur landfill

Africa

Sudan, a country displaced

One of Africa’s largest and most populous countries is on the brink of famine after a year of war between its Army and main paramilitary

डाउन टू अर्थ

किसान

लोकसभा चुनाव परिणाम 2024: किसानों की नाराजगी का साफ दिखा असर!

किसान आंदोलन में बढ़ चढ़कर हिस्सा लेने वाले पंजाब, हरियाणा, पश्चिम उत्तर प्रदेश में भाजपा की हार को किसानों की नाराजगी से जोड़कर देखा जा रहा है

विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस 2024: दुनिया भर में हर पांच सेकंड में एक फुटबॉल पिच के बराबर मिट्टी नष्ट होती है

सतत विकास

विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस 2024: दुनिया भर में हर पांच सेकंड में एक फुटबॉल पिच के बराबर नष्ट हो रही मिट्टी

इस साल इस दिवस की थीम ‘भूमि पुनर्स्थापन, मरुस्थलीकरण और सूखे से निपटने की क्षमता’ है

सतत विकास

जग बीती: लोकसभा चुनाव परिणाम 2024

Data Centre

Environment

Key findings of State of India’s Environment In Figures 2024

From waste, health, climate change and forests to urbanisation and electric vehicles, here is what the annual DTE publication found

Waste

State of Environment in Figures 2024 on municipal solid waste in India

At least 12 states and Union Territories process less than half of the municipal solid waste they generate daily

Climate Change

Islands of heat

CSE study shows how Indian urban centres are trapping more heat due to built-up landscapes, in turn impacting health

Waste

Global stances on various facets of plastic pollution

As the fourth round of talks begin in Ottawa for a global plastic treaty, CSE analyses positions taken by various countries on plastics

Factsheet

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Did heat dissuade voters during the third phase?

Climate Change

Lok Sabha 2024: Did heat dissuade voters during phase 3?

Almost half of the districts analysed saw a rise in temperature as well as a lower voter turnout on polling day on May 7, 2024

Sunita Narain's Desk

Director General of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Editor of Down To Earth magazine. She is an environmentalist who pushes for changes in policies, practices and mindsets