The limited opportunities to mine for minerals on land is making the world consider deep seabed mining as an alternative. But this can pose major destruction to marine biodiversity, given our limited knowledge of the effects of disturbing the high seas, especially in oxygen-minimum zones.

Home to a large number of endemic flora and fauna the Western Ghats is unique in many ways. However, climate change, overexploitation, and deforestation are playing havoc with its biodiversity.

Elephants are today endangered due to fragmentation of habitat, reduction of forest cover, and the hostility of local communities to wildlife. A holistic approach to conservation is the best solution to benefit all concerned.

Deforestation and habitat degradation have primarily contributed to monkeys moving into human settlements over the last few decades. Long-term scientific measures are the only solution to the monkey menace.

India figured among the top five nations, both in terms of investment and total capacity generation of renewables in 2015, as per the Renewables 2016 Global Status Report.

A technological round-up on advances in renewable energy in India and abroad to tackle existing ground-level problems and usher in a new era.

The idea is being mooted to save vast tracts of land from annual floods, besides diverting waters to parched regions. However, experts question the assumption of surplus water in any basin. Instead of grandiose schemes, simple methods to conserve every drop may help solve the problem.

Pathogen and organic pollution due to the respective discharge of untreated wastewater and organic compounds are now a serious threat across rivers in Asia, Africa and Latin America, says UNEP.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences, in collaboration with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System, has been assisting several countries in the Asia-Pacific and Africa with early hazard warnings. This is helping in better understanding of atmospheric, geological, and oceanic phenomena.

Observations made by the High Altitude Cloud Physics Laboratory (HACPL) at Mahabaleshwar shall assist in the understanding of the southwest monsoon and its anomalies, and reduce risks to life and property from extreme weather events.