When the Himalayas Warn Us

When the Himalayas Warn Us: Balancing Ecology, Development and Human Security

The disasters at Kedarnath and Nepal should therefore be read not simply as tragedies of the past or isolated episodes of extreme weather. They are warnings from a changing mountain system. The question before South Asia is whether we will continue to respond to each disaster after it occurs, or whether we will listen to what the mountains are telling us beforehand.

Months Ahead of the Monsoon: Can AI Give Us an Earlier Warning About El Niño?

AI may genuinely extend the horizon over which seasonal climate risk can be estimated.  For communities across South Asia living under the influence of the monsoon, a longer view could mean the difference between a farmer adjusting her planting in time and a family receiving a flood warning too late to act.

Livelihoods, Employment and Environmental Management in South Asia’s Hilly Regions: Lessons from ADB’s New Investment in Bangladesh

The broader lesson for South Asia is equally important. Hilly regions cannot be developed simply by transferring lowland infrastructure models into mountainous terrain. Investment has to respond to local economic systems, geography and environmental risks. 

Ethanol, AI and Agriculture: India's Triangular Chokehold Centred on a Depleting Resource

The UN's 2026 report warns that “long-term water use has exceeded renewable inflows and safe depletion limits,” leaving some water supplies beyond recovery. As the world’s largest groundwater extractor, India sits at the centre of this reckoning

More on Climate, Sustainability and Energy

India donates $1M for Hindi promotion at the UN

Hindi was introduced in the UN by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who became in 1977 the first Indian official when he was the external affairs minister to speak at the UN in the language.

Delhi G20 Summit an opportunity to start reform of global financial system: UN chief

Guterres, who was speaking at the release of the report on the international debt problem by the UN Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG), said, “Half our world is sinking into a development disaster, fuelled by a crushing debt crisis”. 

UN chief calls for global help to end Haiti’s ‘living nightmare’

Indian Central Reserve Police personnel served with MINUSTAH and MINUJUSTH for 11 years starting in 2008 to the UN operations’ end in 2019.

UN drops India from list of countries needing attention over children in armed conflicts; Pakistan chastised for ‘grave violations’

Explaining the steps involved in getting India off the list, Gamba said, “India came forth two years ago to our offices and to our people on the ground, resident coordinator in Delhi as well as the UNICEF representative in the country, and indicated that they were ready to start engagement to see if they can put in place measures that could be sustained through time that would allow for them to be removed”.

UNGA seeks adoption of comprehensive anti-terror pact proposed by India

The main roadblock to adopting the convention proposed by India in 1996 is the definition of terrorists, with some countries like Pakistan claiming that their favoured terrorists are “freedomfighters”.

Modi to participate in International Yoga Day celebrations at UN

Following the UN lead, Yoga Day has become an international celebration around the world with group practices and asana demonstrations across the globe.

India denounces attacks on all religions, calls for inter-faith dialogue to fight bigotry

“Sarva dharma sama bhava is a unique concept of Indian secularism, which maintains that all religions are inherently good and worthy of respect”, the Indian representative said.

UN unanimously backs India’s proposal for monument to honour peacekeepers; highest number of peacekeepers killed are from India

A measure of the unity around paying homage to the peacekeeping heroes was the support of Pakistan, which had moments earlier attacked India at the Assembly on a different issue, but joined in as one of the main co-sponsors of the monument resolution.

US pushing for six UNSC permanent members without veto rights?

The Biden administration supports Germany and Japan in addition to India for permanent seats, and also as yet undetermined representatives of Latin American and African nations. France and Britain also support permanent seats for the three countries and for Brazil, while Russia backs India publicly but not the others.

UN honours three Indian peacekeepers killed in service; India, Bangladesh, Nepal seek accountability for crimes

In December, India launched the Group of Friends to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers with Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Morocco and Nepal as co-chairs. The group advocates for bringing to justice those committing crimes against peacekeepers.

UN recognition for Bangladesh's Community Clinics

The government has so far established more than 14,000 community clinics in public-private partnerships across the country to provide basic healthcare to the people. 

India will continue to be the 'bright spot' in world economy: UN review

The latest UN report cut the overall growth projects by 0.1 per cent for all of South Asia to 4.7 per cent this year and 5.8 per cent next year. The inflation rates for Pakistan and Sri Lanka are expected to be in the "double digits" due to the weakening of local currencies.

Can UNSC that excludes world’s largest democracy be inclusive, India asks

“Is the UNSC in its present form -- which denies permanent representation to entire continents of Africa, Latin America and the world’s largest democracy – can it be deemed to be ‘inclusive’”, Kamboj asked at an open debate at the Council.

India criticised for attacks on press freedom at UNESCO-sponsored UN event

Earlier, at the 30th Anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day Global Conference, New York Times Publisher A.G. Sulzberger got the criticism of India rolling, saying that “in India, authorities have raided newsrooms and treated journalists essentially as terrorists”. 

UNSC condemns Taliban ban on UN women workers in rare unanimity show

The unanimous adoption of the Council resolution proposed by the United Arab Emirates and Japan and co-sponsored by about 90 countries underlines the Taliban regime’s international isolation and signals international unity before the Doha meeting.