Representational Photo

South Asia’s Green Transition: Need for Regional Cooperation to Capture Value

Pakistan has used imported solar technology to respond to immediate energy costs. Bhutan and Nepal can earn from renewable electricity. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have established export-oriented manufacturing capabilities. India is attempting to develop a broader advanced manufacturing base. 

Himalayan Disasters Need a Himalayan Solution: The Case for a Regional Alliance to Mitigate Risks

Nepal's PM proposed a "Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism, led by Nepal, India and China. Through this mechanism”, the countries could “share satellite data and expertise.” This could be a good initiative, as it would help predict disasters and prepare for them. 

Rethinking Climate Security in South Asia - Through AI

South Asia’s climate risks are shared across countries. Rivers such as the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus do not respect national boundaries, and torrential rains in one country can lead to floods in another. Satellite data, flood forecasts and flood warnings could, therefore, be shared to enhance disaster preparedness across the region.  

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.

More on Climate, Sustainability and Energy

End war on nature and ensure ocean health, UN chief on World Oceans Day

Ending the “war on nature” must be part of global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday in his message for World Oceans Day

WHO warns of ‘two-track pandemic’ as cases decline but vaccine inequity persists

Even though COVID-19 cases and deaths have declined in recent weeks, the world is facing a “two-track pandemic”, the UN’s top health official said on Monday in his ongoing campaign to get more vaccines to developing countries

Global push needed to ensure clean, affordable and sustainable electricity for all, says UN report

During the last decade, more people around the world have gained access to electricity than ever before

UNSC backs Guterres for second term as Secretary-General

The UN Security Council on Tuesday recommended Antonio Guterres, who is running unopposed, for a second term as the Secretary-General ensuring his re-election

Maldives Foreign Minister Shahid elected UNGA president defeating Afghan nominee

In an electoral battle of two South Asian countries, Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has defeated Afghanistan's nominee to become the next president of the UN General Assembly

Sundarbans a vital carbon sink: COP 26 president-designate

United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) president-designate Alok Sharma has highlighted the importance of the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest spread over neighboring nations India and Bangladesh, saying it plays a significant role as a carbon sink

UN launches Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to counter ‘triple environmental emergency’

Heads of Government, religious leaders, activists and artists joined the United Nations on Friday in a rallying cry to heal the planet, launching the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

UN health agency urges nations to donate 250 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine

Some two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been distributed globally but only 0.5 per cent have reached low-income countries where frontline health workers and the elderly have yet to receive a shot, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday

UN delegation lauds Bangladesh's Rohingya rehab move to Bay of Bengal island

A  high-level UN delegation, which had recently visited Bangladesh, appreciated PM Sheikh Hasina-led government over the Bhasan Char rehabilitation project of the Rohingyas and sought the international community's support to ensure the refugees live there with dignity

UN hails new anti-corruption network

With factors contributing to transnational corruption becoming increasingly complex, the UN launched an initiative on Thursday to “empower all countries” to find practical solutions and better tools to track, investigate and prosecute the scourge

Invasive pest spread another fallout from climate change, UN-backed study finds

Climate change is making pests that ravage important agricultural crops even more destructive, heightening threats to global food security and the environment, a UN-backed study published on Wednesday has found

Taliban remains ‘closely aligned’ with al-Qaeda; no sign of breaking ties: UN report

The Taliban, the main Afghan insurgent group, remains "closely aligned" with al-Qaeda, a transnational terrorist organization, says a report by the United Nations sanction monitoring team, alleging that the bond between the two has grown deeper

UNGA president 'saddened' by India's response to his Kashmir statements, calls it 'regrettable'

United Nations General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir is “saddened” by India's reaction to his statements on Kashmir, according to his Deputy Spokesperson Amy Quantrill, and found it "regrettable" that they were taken out of context

WHO names Covid strain first detected in India as 'Delta Variant'

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday named the COVID-19 variant first found in India as the "Delta variant"

UN chief calls for a global partnership to address COVID, climate change and achieve SDG’s

Speaking in a key international partnerships summit, António Guterres said that if governments embrace together the goals of phasing out coal, enhancing climate commitments, and investing in the Global Goals, there is an opportunity to rise to 'the biggest challenge of our lives'

Newsletter Subscription

The subscriber's email address.
Stay informed - subscribe to our newsletter.