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UNEP says 1.5°C warming overshoot is now 'unavoidable'. What does it mean for climate action?

September 04, 2026 2:36 pm

A new UNEP report says crossing the 1.5°C warming threshold is now unavoidable, with temperatures likely to peak around 1.8°C even in the best-case scenario. Here's what that means for climate policy and global action going forward.

The Trishuli Bazaar area of Nuwakot district in Nepal on Sunday. AP

Expert Explains | How preparing for disasters in the Himalayas can help save lives

September 02, 2026 2:42 pm

As global warming destabilises the ice and rock in the Himalayas, an expert explains why, and how, we need to move from reacting to disasters to anticipating and preparing for them.

‘Needles in haystacks’: An expert explains the challenge of early warnings in the Himalayas

August 31, 2026 12:23 pm

Austin Lord, Senior Fellow at Stimson Center, tells The Indian Express what triggered Nepal’s deadly flood, and explains why existing hazard mapping failed to identify the risk.

What are ‘hanging glaciers’ and why are they a major risk for India?

August 31, 2026 6:48 pm

As rising temperatures and shifting regional precipitation patterns reduce the stability of the Himalayan glaciers, some of them could evolve into “hanging glaciers”. What happens when they break off?

The lake has formed in a location upstream from the site of Wednesday's flash flood. (Photo by China's CCTV)

Another flood threat for Nepal: What is a barrier lake, and how devastating can a breach be?

August 29, 2026 9:04 am

A lake formed by the recent landslide near the Nepal-Tibet border may have breached its banks. These lakes are called barrier lakes or landslide lakes. What is the risk to the region now?

Damaged houses stand precariously near the swollen, debris-choked banks of the Trishuli River after flash floods in Nepal's Nuwakot district on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Why the Nepal floods are a warning for the Himalayas, and India

August 29, 2026 3:34 pm

The devastating flash floods in Nepal are just the latest reminder of the vulnerability of the Himalayan region to similar natural disasters — from Kedarnath in 2013 to Dharali last year.

Why Nepal flash floods resemble 2021 Chamoli disaster, with greater impact

August 27, 2026 4:26 pm

Nepal’s avalanche-induced flash floods resemble the 2021 Chamoli disaster, but peak monsoon conditions could amplify the destruction and cascading impacts downstream.

Why elephants need long corridors, and why SC has stepped in for them

August 23, 2026 2:22 pm

Asian elephants are highly mobile mammals that roam vast distances in search of food and water. To do this, they need corridors connecting their habitats. But these pathways are increasingly under threat from rail lines, industrial activity and mining

Waterlogging in Gurugram. Gajendra Yadav/file

Experts Explain | Why Indian cities flood after heavy rain and overheat in summer

August 25, 2026 1:25 pm

Gurugram went from heatwave conditions in May to severe waterlogging in August. What turns a weather event into an urban disaster, and why do the same failures return?

Odisha’s coastal erosion: What’s being done to save lives, livelihoods

August 17, 2026 8:16 am

About 28% of the state’s 564-km coastline is undergoing erosion. Government officials said that rising sea level owing to climate change has already submerged many villages and displaced several hundreds of people.