What is the state of the environment in India?, Pg15

Key Highlights:

• The State of India’s Environment 2026 report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) highlights increasing environmental challenges.
• In 2025, extreme weather events occurred on 99% of the days, causing 4,419 deaths and impacting 17.41 million hectares of crops.
• Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh were the worst hit by extreme weather events in 2025.
• Tiger attacks on humans have increased, with at least 43 deaths reported from January to June 2025 near tiger reserves.
• Only 15% of India's population lives within 10 kilometers of a continuous air quality monitor, leaving 1.2 billion people unmonitored.

Detailed Insights:

• The report indicates a significant rise in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events in 2025, signaling a growing ecological crisis.
• Climate change is impacting India's rivers and cities, necessitating a shift from post-disaster relief to pre-disaster resilience through nature-based solutions.
• Rising tiger populations and human encroachment on tiger habitats are leading to increased human-animal conflict and changes in tiger behavior.
• Overlapping tiger territories and human settlements affect 60 million people in 20 states, driving tigers outside protected areas due to saturation.
• The lack of comprehensive air quality monitoring creates structural inequality, leaving smaller towns and industrial areas without real-time pollution data.
• Nature-based solutions like restoring wetlands, reconnecting rivers, and recharging groundwater are crucial for mitigating flood risks.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Extreme Weather Events: Unusually severe or unseasonal weather phenomena.
• Nature-Based Solutions: Sustainable practices that leverage natural ecosystems for environmental and human benefits.
• Air Quality Monitoring: The systematic measurement of pollutants in the air to assess and manage air quality.