29 Jul 2026
Billions Are Meant to Restore Forests. But Are They Really Bringing Nature Back? Every time forest land is diverted for highways, railways, mines or industrial projects, developers are expected to compensate by creating forests elsewhere. On paper, the principle appears simple: replace what is lost. But the debate is no longer about whether compensation is provided- it is about whether it truly replaces what has been lost. The real test of compensatory afforestation is not the number of saplings planted, but whether lost forests are truly being restored.That question has gained renewed attention after the 10th July meeting of the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), where officials reviewed the implementation of one of India's largest ecological restoration programmes. The meeting may have focused on fund utilisation and afforestation progress, but it revived a much larger question: are CAMPA funds creating resilient forest ecosystems, or are they only measuring success through plantation numbers? Understanding CAMPA CAMPA was created around a simple principle: when forests are lost to development, the ecological cost should be invested back into restoration. Under the mechanism, developers who divert forest land for non-forest purposes contribute funds towards rebuilding forest ecosystems elsewhere.These funds support afforestation, natural regeneration, wildlife conservation, forest protection, soil and water conservation, fire prevention and improvements in forest management infrastructure. CAMPA now represents one of India's largest environmental funding pools, with tens of thousands of crores dedicated to compensating for forest loss.The challenge, however, is not only how much money is available- it is whether that money is rebuilding forests or merely adding to plantation statistics. The Bigger Question Isn't Spending- It's Ecological Recovery Much of the attention on CAMPA revolves around fund utilisation. Rather than asking how much money has been spent, experts say the more important question is what difference those investments have made on the ground.Plantation numbers may look impressive on paper, yet forests cannot be measured by saplings alone. A healthy forest supports wildlife, stores carbon, protects water and soil, and provides livelihoods for communities that depend on it. Restoration cannot be measured by plantation numbers alone. If saplings fail to survive or diverse natural forests give way to monoculture plantations, the ecological gains may remain limited despite substantial investments. Ecologists say the conversation must move beyond how much was spent to what ecological outcomes were achieved. Planting Is Easy- Growing a Forest Is Hard One of the biggest questions surrounding compensatory afforestation is what happens after the plantation drive ends. Saplings need years of monitoring, protection and maintenance before they can grow into self-sustaining forests. Without sustained care, survival rates can fall significantly, limiting the ecological value of restoration efforts. Many environmental experts argue that public reporting should go beyond the number of saplings planted and include their survival after three, five and even ten years. Such long-term monitoring would provide a more reliable measure of whether restoration efforts are creating lasting ecological benefits. Can New Plantations Replace Natural Forests? The debate extends beyond the number of trees planted. An equally important question is whether newly created plantations can truly compensate for the loss of mature natural forests. Many researchers argue that plantation figures tell only part of the story.A natural forest is far more than a collection of trees. It develops over decades or centuries, supporting biodiversity and ecological processes that cannot be recreated overnight. Compensatory plantations, often made up of fewer species, may not fully replace these functions.That is why many conservationists argue that success should be measured by ecological restoration rather than plantation targets. Restoring degraded ecosystems, conserving existing forests and planting native species are widely considered more effective ways to rebuild resilient landscapes. Restoring Forests Requires Restoring PartnershipsForest restoration is not just an ecological exercise- it is also a community effort. Many experts argue that Indigenous communities, forest-dependent households and local residents should be treated as partners rather than participants. Their understanding of local ecosystems can improve the choice of native species, strengthen long-term management and increase plantation survival. Equally important, community involvement helps maintain accountability long after the plantation drive is over. Transparency Strengthens Accountability Many experts believe that transparency is essential to improving forest restoration. They argue that district-level information on CAMPA projects- including where funds are spent, how plantations are performing and what ecological outcomes are being achieved- should be easily accessible to the public. Greater openness would allow citizens to track progress, strengthen accountability and help governments identify restoration approaches that deliver the best results. More Than Planting TreesIndia's environmental commitments have made CAMPA a critical instrument for forest restoration. But its legacy will not be determined by financial allocations or plantation statistics alone. It will be determined by whether today's investments restore ecosystems that can withstand climate change, protect biodiversity and support future generations. In the years ahead, the true measure of success will not be how many trees are planted- it will be how many forests are genuinely brought back to life. Sources: National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)https://moef.gov.in/en/division/forest-and-wildlife-division/national-campa/ Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 (CAF Act) – Government of Indiahttps://legislative.gov.inForest Survey of India (FSI) – India State of Forest Report (ISFR)https://fsi.nic.in Down To Earth – Environment and forest restoration coverage, including CAMPA implementation and afforestation debateshttps://www.downtoearth.org ...Read more
29 Jul 2026
China's climate emergencies highlight a bigger question: Are Asian cities prepared for multiple disasters at once? When a typhoon approaches, cities usually prepare for strong winds and heavy rain. But what happens when rivers are already overflowing before the storm even arrives? Experts say this is becoming the new reality. Instead of facing isolated disasters, countries are increasingly confronting compound events- multiple climate hazards unfolding together or in rapid succession, making their impacts far more severe and recovery more complex. China's recent climate emergencies offer a clear example of this growing challenge. Over a short span of time, several regions have experienced heavy rainfall, widespread flooding and the looming threat of typhoons. Together, these overlapping events have tested emergency response systems, disrupted transport networks, increased pressure on dams and forced thousands of people to evacuate. China's response may dominate the immediate headlines, but the larger concern reaches beyond its borders. If one of Asia's largest economies can face multiple climate disasters simultaneously, how resilient are other countries when confronted with the same threat? Across Asia, rapid urbanisation is unfolding alongside frequent climate hazards. Rising temperatures are intensifying heavy rainfall, while sea-level rise and changing weather patterns are making floods more destructive in densely populated cities.Experts say this new reality demands a shift in disaster planning- from preparing for single events to managing multiple climate risks at the same time.The challenge is no longer preparing for a single disaster in isolation. Cities are now being forced to plan for multiple hazards that can occur at the same time or trigger one another. This shift is making compound-event planning a key priority for disaster preparedness. The focus is shifting from isolated disasters to understanding how multiple hazards interact. Heavy rainfall can overwhelm drainage systems, flood roads, trigger landslides, and strain dams and reservoirs- leaving communities more vulnerable if another hazard, such as a cyclone, follows soon after. Disasters can no longer be viewed as separate emergencies, as one event often magnifies the impact of another. China's recent climate emergencies demonstrate why preparing for interconnected risks is becoming an essential part of disaster planning. Another issue moving to the forefront is dam safety.Reservoirs across Asia are vital for water storage, irrigation, hydropower and flood management. But during extreme rainfall, operators face a difficult choice: retain more water and increase pressure on the dam, or release it quickly and risk worsening floods downstream.Experts say climate change is making these decisions more difficult, turning dam management into more than just a technical challenge.Modern dam management depends on accurate weather forecasts, river monitoring, real-time data and close coordination between multiple agencies. Strengthening these systems can help authorities act before risks escalate.The same principle applies to cities.Urban flooding is no longer caused by heavy rainfall alone. Rapid urbanisation, shrinking wetlands, expanding paved surfaces and inadequate drainage often prevent water from draining naturally, allowing intense rainfall to quickly develop into a major urban emergency. Many cities across Asia are now confronting the same challenge. Whether in China, India, Bangladesh or Southeast Asia, growing populations and expanding infrastructure are increasing exposure to climate-related risks. Experts argue that adaptation must therefore become part of everyday urban planning rather than an emergency response after disasters occur. This requires stronger drainage systems, the protection of natural flood buffers like wetlands and floodplains, more effective early-warning systems, and resilient infrastructure that can continue operating during extreme weather. Technology is becoming a powerful ally in climate adaptation. From satellite monitoring and artificial intelligence to advanced forecasting and digital flood mapping, new tools are helping authorities detect risks earlier and give communities more time to prepare. But technology cannot prevent disasters on its own. Experts say real preparedness depends on how effectively governments, engineers, emergency responders and local communities work together long before a crisis begins. For India, the lessons are particularly relevant. Recurring urban floods, powerful cyclones and rapid infrastructure expansion are increasing the country's exposure to multiple climate hazards. Experts argue that future disaster preparedness will depend not only on responding effectively to individual events but also on planning for the ways different hazards can interact. China's recent floods and typhoon threats are therefore more than a national emergency. They highlight a broader reality: climate disasters are becoming more interconnected, more complex and increasingly difficult to anticipate. China's floods and typhoon threats are more than a reminder of a changing climate- they are a reminder that the nature of disasters is changing as well. The real test of resilience will not be how well countries respond to the next disaster, but how effectively they prepare for a future where climate risks no longer arrive alone. Sources: World Meteorological Organization (WMO) – Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems & Climate Reportshttps://wmo.intUnited Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) – Compound Disaster Risk & Disaster Resiliencehttps://www.undrr.orgChina Meteorological Administration (CMA) – Typhoon Monitoring, Rainfall & Weather Warningshttps://www.cma.gov.cn/enReuters – Coverage of China's floods, typhoons and emergency responsehttps://www.reuters.com/world/china/ReliefWeb (OCHA) – Floods, Humanitarian Updates & Disaster Situation Reportshttps://reliefweb.int ...Read more
29 Jul 2026
A deficit monsoon that is still drowning people India's monsoon crisis of 2026 appears contradictory only from a distance. The country has received below-normal rainfall overall, farmers in several regions are confronting moisture stress, reservoirs remain worryingly depleted, and kharif sowing has fallen behind last year. Yet, at the same time, Assam has suffered one of its most damaging floods in recent years, Arunachal Pradesh has seen nearly its entire district map disrupted at once, Himalayan states are reporting landslides and blocked roads, and intense rainfall episodes are inundating cities and villages from Odisha to Uttarakhand — while Mumbai and Kolkata have each been paralysed by their own floodwaters, and Karnataka has asked farmers to simply stop sowing. By July 28, the nationwide monsoon rainfall deficit had narrowed to approximately 16 percent, after reaching nearly 40 percent at the end of June. But this apparent recovery has not come through steady, farm-friendly rain. It has largely arrived through violent, concentrated downpours separated by prolonged dry spells. This is the defining feature of the Indian monsoon of 2026: rain is falling in the wrong places, at the wrong intensity, and increasingly at the wrong time. India is not merely experiencing a weak monsoon. It is experiencing a dangerously disorganised one. Late arrival, long pause, sudden violence The southwest monsoon reached Kerala around three days later than usual. It then stalled for nearly two weeks across important agricultural regions of western and central India. June ended with a severe national rainfall shortage. The monsoon subsequently accelerated, but unevenly. Low-pressure systems and depressions delivered bursts of extreme rainfall, while large areas continued to receive substantially less rain than normal. Between June 1 and July 22, India had received 19 percent less rainfall than the long-period average. The geographical imbalance was even sharper: East and Northeast India were approximately 32 percent deficient. The southern peninsula was around 26 percent deficient. Northwest India had a deficit of about 13 percent, while central India was approximately 9 percent below normal. These regional averages conceal extraordinary local variations. A district may receive almost no meaningful rain for two weeks and then receive a month's rainfall in several hours. The monthly total may eventually approach "normal," but the agricultural, hydrological and human consequences are anything but normal. A field needs moderate rain that penetrates the soil. Instead, torrential rain often rushes away as surface runoff, eroding topsoil, flooding settlements and leaving groundwater inadequately replenished. India's two monsoons are happening together The 2026 monsoon has effectively divided India into overlapping zones of emergency. In parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Gangetic agricultural belt, prolonged rainfall deficits created drought-like conditions during crucial sowing weeks. By July 10, rainfall was below normal in 397 of India's 741 districts, while the area under kharif cultivation was approximately 16 percent lower than at the corresponding point in 2025. Conditions improved later in July, but the sowing deficit did not disappear. By July 24, farmers had planted approximately 78.7 million hectares, against 82.6 million hectares a year earlier. Rice cultivation was slightly behind last year, soybean acreage was down around 3 percent, cotton acreage approximately 4 percent, and maize sowing almost 10 percent lower. Sugarcane was one of the few major crops showing an increase. Karnataka has offered the sharpest illustration of this stress in the south. The state recorded a rainfall deficit of around 30 percent up to July 11 — having received only 203 mm of rain against a normal of 292 mm — prompting Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to write directly to the Prime Minister seeking a central assessment team. June alone was the state's fourth-worst in fifty years, with just 116 mm of rain against a 165–190 mm normal, a 42 percent shortfall. The Malnad region, the principal catchment for the Cauvery, Tunga and Bhadra systems, recorded the state's worst deficit at 34 percent, with the coastal belt close behind at 30 percent. The Tungabhadra reservoir near Hosapete held just 9.47 TMC ft of water against 61.88 TMC ft a year earlier — an 85 percent collapse in storage that has, in comparable past seasons, forced authorities to instruct farmers in the Cauvery basin to halt further sowing altogether. At the same moment, parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh were underwater. This coexistence is scientifically possible because flood and drought describe different dimensions of water stress. A flood is caused by excessive rainfall or river discharge over a short period and within a particular basin. Drought reflects accumulated rainfall deficiency, reduced soil moisture, poor groundwater recharge, falling reservoir storage and agricultural stress over time. India can therefore be flooded locally while remaining rainfall-deficient nationally. Assam: an upstream deluge becomes a human disaster Assam's late-July floods exposed the terrifying speed at which a localised rainfall event can become a regional humanitarian emergency. Very heavy rainfall over neighbouring Nagaland between July 18 and July 20 generated exceptionally high river flows entering Assam. By July 23, approximately 650,000 people across 11 districts had been affected and at least 36 deaths had been reported during that phase of the disaster. The crisis subsequently expanded. At its late-July peak, reports indicated that at least 50 people had died, approximately 700,000 had been displaced, nearly 300,000 people were staying in government shelters and around 900 villages were submerged. Helicopters were used for relief drops, while police, disaster-response forces, volunteers and civil administrators conducted rescues. By July 28, Assam's cumulative flood death toll had reportedly risen to 68, while more than 445,000 people remained affected across districts including Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, Golaghat, Nagaon and Kamrup Metropolitan. These changing numbers do not represent statistical confusion. They reflect the movement of water: some areas emerge from inundation as others are submerged, displaced residents begin returning, and new deaths or missing persons are recorded. The state's flood wave first hit Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh, affecting over 22,000 people and nearly 100 villages, before riverbank erosion partially collapsed a railway bridge over the Simen River at Simen Chapari, cutting off train services and isolating villages overnight. On the ground, response has been substantial: 250 NDRF personnel, 36 NDRF boats, 65 SDRF and Fire Services boats, three Indian Army boats and 82 mobilised country boats have operated around Majuli and the worst-hit districts, alongside 71 relief camps and 202 relief distribution centres. The Chief Minister's Relief Fund has directed distribution of over 4 lakh bottled water units, nearly 2 lakh biscuit packets and roughly 40,000 milk packets for infants, while Cabinet ministers have been stationed in Charaideo and Sivasagar since the floods began. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally reviewed relief operations and ordered a full damage assessment, even as opposition leaders have pressed for faster release of PM-CARES funds. Why does Assam flood again and again? Extreme rainfall is the immediate trigger. It is not the complete explanation. The Brahmaputra is a vast, sediment-heavy and highly dynamic river system. It receives water from intense monsoon rain, Himalayan tributaries and numerous upstream catchments. Its channels naturally shift, islands erode and floodplains absorb seasonal excess water. But human interventions have progressively reduced the landscape's capacity to live with the river. Catchment degradation and deforestation accelerate erosion. Sediment raises riverbeds and reduces channel-carrying capacity. Wetlands and natural water-retention areas are encroached upon. Roads, housing projects and commercial construction block traditional drainage channels. Urban drains are undersized, poorly connected or clogged with waste. Assam's own urban-flood planning documents acknowledge that rapid development has consumed vacant land and disrupted natural drainage. In Guwahati, the obstruction and encroachment of wetlands and beels have removed natural stormwater reservoirs, allowing even moderate rainfall to produce severe waterlogging. Embankments provide essential protection, but they can also create a false sense of permanence. When inadequately maintained embankments breach, water enters settlements with extraordinary force. Embankments may also trap rainwater inside protected areas when drainage outlets are insufficient. The result is a cycle of emergency expenditure without corresponding reduction in vulnerability. Arunachal Pradesh: the upstream disaster nobody watches closely enough If Assam is the downstream casualty, Arunachal Pradesh is where the water begins its rampage — and the state has been battered on its own terms too. In mid-July, incessant rainfall triggered flash floods in Kurung Kumey district and landslides across Pakke Kessang, West Kameng and Papum Pare districts. The State Emergency Operation Centre reported seven deaths, 29 injuries, and more than 97,000 people affected across 425 villages spanning all 26 districts of the state — nearly the entire state machinery mobilised at once. The damage inventory reads like an infrastructure ledger wiped out overnight: 150 roads damaged, 19 bridges lost, 21 culverts destroyed, 221 water supply systems disrupted, 58 government buildings hit, 156 power lines and 224 electric poles down, 10 hydel projects damaged, two hospitals and three schools affected, alongside 541.75 hectares of crop area and nearly 1,010 hectares of forest land impacted. In Kurung Kumey, flash floods from the overflowing Kumey River washed away bridges connecting the villages of Huri, Damin and Pagam; a church, an inspection bungalow, and St Thomas School in Parsi-Parlo were all damaged, halting classes. A massive landslide buried a stretch of National Highway-13 near Pakro village, and a section of the road leading to the strategically vital Sela Tunnel in West Kameng — a key route toward the China border — was washed away entirely. Downstream and around, the same monsoon has scattered damage widely: a Bailey bridge over the Phee Khola at Phidang in North Sikkim's Dzongu region was simply washed away, cutting off road connectivity, while Meghalaya's hill roads suffered fresh landslide disruptions of their own. Arunachal Pradesh illustrates, in miniature, the whole country's 2026 paradox: a state that can log both flood emergencies in its river valleys and rainfall deficits in its interior districts within the same season — sometimes the same week. The drought is hiding inside the reservoirs Flood images dominate television screens because they are immediate and dramatic. Reservoir depletion receives far less attention, although it can affect drinking water, irrigation, electricity generation and food prices for months. On July 23, the country's 166 monitored major reservoirs held approximately 70.4 billion cubic metres of water, equivalent to only about 38 percent of their combined capacity. Storage was around 36 percent lower than at the same time in 2025. More than 50 reservoirs were holding water at or below 80 percent of their normal level, while 22 were at half their normal storage or lower. Conditions were especially concerning in parts of southern India — a picture Karnataka's near-empty Tungabhadra reservoir makes vivid. This is hydrological stress, even when isolated districts are reporting floods. Much of the rain produced by cloudbursts and extreme spells runs rapidly into rivers and drains. It may cause destruction without adequately restoring groundwater or maintaining reservoir inflows. The nation receives water, but cannot retain it where and when it is needed. El Niño has disturbed the monsoon's rhythm The most prominent large-scale climate influence in 2026 is El Niño — the abnormal warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. The World Meteorological Organization had assessed an approximately 80 percent probability of El Niño conditions during June–August 2026, with a very high probability that the event would continue into late autumn. By July, the India Meteorological Department reported that El Niño conditions were prevailing and strengthening, while the Indian Ocean Dipole remained neutral. El Niño often weakens India's seasonal monsoon circulation. But it does not simply switch off rainfall. It can weaken the broad flow of moisture while atmospheric disturbances, Bay of Bengal depressions, western disturbances, the movement of the monsoon trough and the Madden–Julian Oscillation still generate intense local rainfall. This year, western disturbances — normally quiet during the monsoon — have remained active and interacted directly with the monsoon current over Jammu & Kashmir and the western Himalaya, intensifying rainfall precisely where slopes are least equipped to absorb it. Research examining more than a century of observations indicates that some El Niño years can simultaneously increase the probability of seasonal rainfall deficiency and short-duration extreme rainfall over particular regions. Thus, fewer rainy days do not necessarily mean fewer disasters. They may mean that a larger proportion of the season's rain falls during a smaller number of violent events. Climate warming is loading the dice El Niño is a natural climate cycle. The background against which it now operates is no longer natural. India's average temperature increased by approximately 0.7°C between 1901 and 2018. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, while rising sea-surface temperatures increase the potential supply of water vapour to monsoon systems. This produces an apparent paradox: warming can intensify both drought and flooding. Higher temperatures increase evaporation from soil, plants and reservoirs during rainless periods. But when atmospheric conditions finally trigger rain, the additional moisture can produce much heavier precipitation. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has projected increasing heavy precipitation over parts of Asia and the Himalayan region, alongside declining snow and glacier volumes. Climate change does not cause every individual flood or landslide. It multiplies the probability, intensity and consequences of extreme events occurring within already vulnerable landscapes. The Himalaya: a natural hazard turned into a construction zone The Himalaya are geologically young, steep and unstable. Their rocks are fractured, their slopes are vulnerable to erosion, and intense rain can rapidly saturate thin mountain soils. Yet natural fragility is only half the story. Road widening, uncontrolled hill cutting, blasting, hotel construction, hydropower infrastructure, poorly designed retaining walls and the dumping of excavated debris have transformed many mountain slopes. Drainage channels are frequently blocked or redirected. Buildings have expanded onto unstable slopes and river terraces without adequate geological assessment. India's Supreme Court, reviewing disaster patterns in Himachal Pradesh, has explicitly named hydroelectric power projects, four-lane road expansion, deforestation and unchecked multi-storey construction as drivers of "ecological destruction," warning that revenue "cannot be earned at the cost of the environment and ecology." India's national landslide atlas has mapped around 80,000 landslides recorded between 1998 and 2022 across 17 states and two Union Territories, and ranked 147 districts by landslide exposure. Many vulnerable corridors include major pilgrimage routes, highways and densely visited tourist centres. By July 28, rain and landslides had reportedly blocked as many as 179 roads in Himachal Pradesh, while at least 15 monsoon-related deaths had been recorded in the state. Glacial retreat compounds the risk. The Hindu Kush Himalaya region has seen glacial cover shrink 12 percent between 1990 and 2020, with a 21 percent decline in the Ganga basin alone. ISRO's Glacial Lakes Atlas has identified roughly 2,400 glacial lakes, of which 601 have doubled in size and are considered at risk of catastrophic breach. The 2023 Sikkim GLOF remains the starkest warning of what this looks like in practice: permafrost erosion triggered a landslide into South Lhonak Lake, producing a 20-metre flood surge that destroyed the Teesta-III dam, killed at least 90 people, and inundated 276 square kilometres of farmland. The 2023 Joshimath subsidence crisis and the 2025 Dharali flash flood — which buried a Himalayan village under 12–18 metres of sediment — are cut from the same cloth: tectonic stress compounded by construction, tunnelling and drainage failures that turned a natural hazard into a man-made catastrophe. The Northeast faces similar risks. Recent modelling of rain-triggered landslides in Mizoram suggests that simultaneous slope failures with little or no warning could become substantially more frequent under high-emissions warming scenarios. The study remains a modelling assessment rather than a precise forecast, but its warning is unmistakable: yesterday's engineering standards cannot be assumed to protect tomorrow's mountains. Metros drowning by design: Mumbai and Kolkata While hill states battle landslides and the Northeast battles rivers, India's two biggest western and eastern metros have spent the season proving that flooding isn't only a mountain or a river problem — it is also, unmistakably, an urban planning failure. Mumbai's stormwater drainage network was designed in the early twentieth century to handle roughly 25 mm of rainfall per hour — a fraction of what the city's monsoons now regularly deliver. The 2005 catastrophe, when the city recorded 944 mm of rain in 24 hours, was supposed to be the wake-up call; the Chitale Committee that followed recommended sweeping drainage reforms and a dedicated authority for the Mithi River. Two decades on, areas like Bandra Kurla Complex and Hindmata still flood on cue every season — 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025, and again in 2026. The city's exposure is structural and largely self-inflicted: Mumbai was built by reclaiming seven islands, leaving large portions of the metropolis below high-tide level to begin with. Its drainage outfalls discharge directly into the sea, which works fine at low tide — but when heavy rain coincides with high tide, sluice gates must be shut to stop seawater backflow, trapping rainwater inside the city with nowhere to go. Layer on decades of destroyed mangroves, blocked natural nullahs, and — as the Bombay High Court itself observed this July — citizen and civic complicity in encroaching on drains, blocking gutters, and converting footpaths and open channels into shops and parking, and you get a city whose flooding the court bluntly called "our own creation." Mumbai's open-space ratio has been measured at roughly 0.012 hectares per 1,000 people, against a desired standard of 1.67 hectares — a 140-fold shortfall that leaves almost nowhere for excess water to go except the streets. Kolkata's flooding operates on an almost identical playbook. In one recent extreme event, the city logged 252 mm of rain in seven hours — arriving at the same moment as high tide on the Hooghly, forcing the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's drainage department to shut sluice gates and trap the deluge inside the city. As Mayor Firhad Hakim put it, describing the scale of the downpour: the canals and rivers were already full, so every attempt to drain the city simply invited more water back in. The deeper story is ecological. Kolkata's eastern wetlands once functioned as the city's natural stormwater sponge — but decades of illegal landfilling along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass have destroyed much of that buffer for construction. Combined with a colonial-era sewerage network never rebuilt for today's population density, the result is a city where a few hours of intense rain can paralyse roads, rails, the Metro, hospitals, and festival infrastructure alike. The KMC's own diagnosis has been candid: erratic weather patterns are now delivering brief, torrential downpours that simply exceed what the ageing drainage network can pump into the canals in time. In response, the corporation has begun constructing rainwater-collection reservoirs at more than 50 identified "water pocket" locations, aiming to both cut waterlogging and recharge depleting groundwater — an admission, in itself, that pumping alone can no longer keep pace with the rain. Relief is necessary. Rehabilitation must not recreate risk Governments have mobilised rescue teams, opened relief camps, distributed food and drinking water, restored communications and used helicopters in inaccessible areas. The Prime Minister and Assam's Chief Minister have reviewed the flood situation, while central assessment teams and state agencies have begun examining losses and rehabilitation needs. In Himalayan states, highway authorities have identified vulnerable locations, positioned machinery and emergency teams, and undertaken slope stabilisation, retaining-wall, drainage and erosion-control work. In Arunachal Pradesh, the State Emergency Operation Centre has coordinated restoration of roads, bridges and water systems even as damage assessments continue across all 26 districts. In Mumbai and Kolkata, municipal corporations have leaned on additional pumps, desilting drives, and new underground rainwater-storage reservoirs — tactical measures that civic officials themselves concede are stopgaps against a structurally undersized system. But relief measured only by food packets, rescue boats and compensation cheques is incomplete. Relief camps need safe water, sanitation, health surveillance, menstrual hygiene facilities, child protection, disability access and arrangements for livestock. Families losing crops, shops, fishing equipment or daily-wage employment need immediate livelihood assistance, not merely compensation for damaged houses. Rehabilitation must rebuild schools, clinics, transport links and local markets — not only physical dwellings. Most importantly, homes repeatedly destroyed by erosion or landslides should not simply be reconstructed at the same location. Stop repairing disasters. Start redesigning risk Assam already has major flood-management initiatives supported by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. These include institutional strengthening, better flood forecasting, embankment and river-management measures, erosion control and climate-resilient infrastructure. Their success must be judged not by money spent or embankment kilometres completed, but by lives protected, warnings delivered, evacuation time gained and repeated displacement prevented. Every major flood and landslide should trigger an independent, publicly available review examining land-use violations, wetland destruction, drainage failures, embankment maintenance, road design, debris disposal, reservoir operations and administrative response. India needs legally enforceable floodplain zoning. Urban wetlands must be mapped, protected and restored — in Guwahati's beels, Kolkata's eastern marshes and Mumbai's mangroves alike. Encroachments blocking natural watercourses cannot be regularised indefinitely and then blamed on "unprecedented rain." Each embankment should have a public asset register, pre-monsoon safety certification and clearly identified maintenance responsibility. River management must incorporate sediment and erosion control, not merely build higher walls against water. The Himalaya needs a carrying-capacity test Every road, tunnel, hydropower project, hotel cluster and township in vulnerable mountain districts should be evaluated cumulatively. A project may appear manageable in isolation. Ten projects on the same unstable slope or river valley may create an entirely different hazard. High-susceptibility zones need strict no-construction rules. Road engineering must give priority to drainage, controlled excavation, slope reinforcement and scientific disposal of debris. Pilgrimage and tourism numbers should be aligned with local carrying capacity, evacuation routes and waste-management infrastructure. Development cannot be called development when each monsoon washes it away and leaves local residents to carry the debt, debris and deaths. Forecasts must reach the last household The IMD is increasingly issuing impact-based rainfall warnings, including alerts for flash flooding, landslides, crop damage and urban inundation. During the final week of July, it warned of extremely heavy rainfall across parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, along with very heavy rainfall over Himalayan states. But a forecast is only as useful as the action it triggers. Warnings must be converted into local languages, cell-broadcast alerts, sirens, community announcements and pre-agreed evacuation orders. Village volunteers, schools, local health workers and elected representatives must know exactly what a red or orange warning requires them to do. Forecast accuracy cannot compensate for administrative hesitation. 2026 is not an abnormal year to be forgotten The Indian monsoon of 2026 is a warning about the future of adaptation. It demonstrates that national rainfall averages are no longer enough. Policymakers must examine rainfall intensity, dry-spell duration, soil moisture, reservoir storage, district-level crop conditions and the exposure of people living along rivers, hills and urban drains. India requires an adaptation architecture capable of responding to simultaneous scarcity and excess. Farmers need drought-resistant seeds, crop insurance that pays quickly, local water harvesting and advisories based on actual soil conditions. Cities need permeable surfaces, functioning drains and restored wetlands. Floodplains need space for rivers. Himalayan districts need enforceable geological limits. Erosion-displaced families need legal recognition, secure relocation and livelihood support. The choice is no longer between development and environmental protection. The real choice is between development that survives the monsoon and development that becomes its next casualty. India is receiving less rain than normal nationally while people are dying from too much water locally. That is not a contradiction to be explained away. It is the clearest possible signal that the climate has changed faster than the country's systems of planning, construction, agriculture and disaster governance. The rain is no longer waiting for India to adapt. Sources referred to India Meteorological Department (IMD) — seasonal and district-wise rainfall bulletins, 2026World Meteorological Organization (WMO) — El Niño probability assessments, 2026Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — regional precipitation and glacier projectionsAssam State Disaster Management Authority / Chief Secretary review bulletins, July 2026Assam Chief Minister's Office / DRIMS (Disaster Reporting and Information Management System) bulletinsANI — "NDRF, SDRF providing special support in Assam": Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (July 24, 2026); "Assam flood death toll rises to 68, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma directs coordinated relief operations"Assam Tribune — "Assam plans minister-led rehabilitation in flood-hit districts after Assembly"Sentinel Assam — "Assam Chief Secretary Reviews Flood Situation, Directs Faster Relief and Restoration in Worst-Hit Districts"Asian Mirror — "Assam Floods Turn Deadly: Death Toll Reaches 62, Over 7 Lakh People Affected"The Tribune — "Kharge targets BJP over Assam floods, demands immediate PM-CARES relief"State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Government of Arunachal Pradesh — disaster bulletins, July 2026India TV News — "7 killed, over 97,000 affected as heavy rains trigger landslides, flash floods in Arunachal" (July 2026)Daily Pioneer — "Fresh Floods and Landslides Hit Arunachal Pradesh, Over 97,000 Affected" (2026); "Himalayan Climate Crisis: Why India Must Rethink Mountain Development Before It's Too Late"The News Minute — "Floods and landslides batter northeast India"Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare — kharif sowing progress data, 2026Central Water Commission — national reservoir storage bulletins, 2026News9live — "Karnataka CM writes to PM over worsening drought after 30% rainfall deficit"; "Karnataka sees 42% June rain deficit, Tungabhadra storage drops sharply"Deccan Chronicle — "Karnataka: 'Send A Central Team...' CM Tells PM"The Hans India — "Wide deficit in southwest monsoon rainfall sparks drought concerns"Tractor For Everyone — "IMD Monsoon 2026 Forecast: Below-Normal Rains & Kharif Sowing Impact"Sunday Guardian Live — "Mumbai Monsoon Arrival 2026: Is the City Ready to Tackle Waterlogging?"Free Press Journal — "Mumbai's Flooding, 'Our Own Creation,' But Not Ours Alone" (Bombay High Court observation, July 2026)Mumbai TV — "Mumbai Monsoon 2026: Heavy Rain Floods Roads, Disrupts Traffic and Tests City's Infrastructure"India.com — "Why does Mumbai continue to face severe flooding during the monsoon despite years of infrastructure upgrades?"ETV Bharat — "KMC Will Collect Excess Rainwater To Address Inundation, Replenish Depleting Groundwater"The Federal — "What caused Kolkata floods? A near-cloudburst, outdated drainage, ecological apathy"; "Flood here, drought there: A tale of two Indias in monsoon"Millennium Post — "KMC gears up for borough-level monsoon review" (2026)Down To Earth — "India's Erratic Monsoon: Floods, Dry Spells and a 16% Rain Deficit Driven by El Niño and Global Warming"Geological Survey of India — National Landslide Susceptibility AtlasInsights on India / Drishti IAS — "Himalayan Fragility: Causes, Consequences, and the Way Ahead for Sustainable Development"; "Strengthening Himalayan Disaster Preparedness"; "Building Resilience Against Landslides"Observer Research Foundation (ORF) — "Climate Extremes and the Development Dilemma in the Himalayas"ISRO Glacial Lakes Atlas; ICIMOD Hindu Kush Himalaya assessment, 2026World Bank / Asian Development Bank — Assam flood and river-management project documentation ...Read more
28 Jul 2026
A workshop in Kolkata has sparked a larger conversation about whether restoring ecosystems can also restore livelihoods, especially for communities that have protected nature for generations. Can restoring nature also restore livelihoods? As communities revive forests, wetlands and mangroves, a new conversation is emerging around climate action, employment and long-term resilience. The discussion gained momentum following a recent climate workshop in Kolkata, where experts, researchers, community leaders and environmental practitioners explored how community-led climate action can create meaningful jobs while restoring ecosystems. While the conversations began at the local level, the ideas resonate far beyond the city.As countries invest more in climate action, a bigger opportunity is beginning to emerge. Experts believe community-led restoration can not only revive ecosystems but also create inclusive, long-term livelihoods for the people who depend on them.But an equally important question remains.Can green jobs evolve into stable, long-term careers, or will they continue to depend on short-lived projects and temporary funding? Around the world, climate action is being backed by investments in restoring nature. Whether it involves bringing forests back to life, reviving wetlands, rejuvenating urban lakes or protecting vulnerable coastlines, these efforts require skilled hands and local knowledge. Experts argue that the communities protecting these ecosystems ought to be the primary beneficiaries of the opportunities they generate.For India, this conversation is especially significant. As the country works towards expanding forest cover, restoring degraded landscapes and building climate resilience, the need for a skilled green workforce is becoming important. Experts say achieving these ambitions will depend on professionals trained in ecological restoration, biodiversity monitoring, sustainable agriculture, waste management and other nature-based solutions.Yet the workshop made one point particularly clear- green jobs cannot succeed on numbers alone. Their future will depend on skilled training, reliable career pathways and valuing the traditional knowledge that communities have passed down for generations. This made traditional ecological knowledge one of the defining themes of the discussions. For centuries, communities living closest to nature have learned how to work with it. Across India, Indigenous groups, fisherfolk, farmers and forest-dependent households have built a deep understanding of forests, wetlands, mangroves, biodiversity and changing weather through lived experience. Experts believe this traditional knowledge should play a central role in shaping restoration efforts rather than simply supporting them.Several restoration initiatives have already demonstrated the value of community participation. From mangrove conservation along India's coastlines to watershed restoration in drought-prone regions and community-managed forests across different states, these efforts show that restoration is more likely to succeed when local people are involved in planning, implementation and long-term monitoring. But training people is only the beginning! The real challenge is ensuring that green skills open the door to credible, long-term careers rather than remaining part of short-lived training programmes. Experts say the real opportunity lies in creating skills that remain valuable long after individual restoration projects are completed. Whether it is nursery management, biodiversity surveys, GIS mapping, climate-risk assessment or environmental monitoring, specialised training can help build a workforce prepared for the demands of a greener economy.They also believe stronger collaboration between governments, educational institutions, businesses and civil society organisations will be key to improving certification, creating employment opportunities and supporting continuous learning. In this transition, the private sector is expected to emerge as an equally important partner. As sustainability becomes a bigger priority for businesses, the demand for professionals who understand ecological restoration, climate resilience and environmental reporting is expected to rise. Experts believe this could create meaningful career opportunities for young people while helping India build a greener and more resilient economy.One message echoed throughout the workshop: green jobs should be valued not just for the number of people they employ, but for the livelihoods they sustain. Fair wages, long-term income security, safe working conditions and genuine community participation will decide whether restoration efforts create lasting change or simply fade with project funding. Ultimately, the discussions in Kolkata pointed to a much larger truth- building a greener future does not require choosing between climate action and economic development. A greener future will require both to move forward as one.Every restored forest, wetland, river and coastline represents more than an environmental success- it is an investment in the future of both people and nature. The real task now is ensuring that the opportunities created are inclusive, credible and long-lasting. As countries invest more in climate solutions, the focus must shift from counting projects to creating lasting opportunities for the people leading them. Building a resilient economy will require communities to be recognised not just as participants, but as long-term partners in the journey. Because if restoring nature is about protecting tomorrow, it should also help secure the livelihoods of those shaping that future today! Sources:International Labour Organization (ILO) – Green Jobs Programme United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP), MoEFCC National Mission for Green India National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) Wildlife Institute of India (WII) ...Read more
28 Jul 2026
The UN's latest global review isn't just measuring progress- it is testing whether countries can still deliver on the promises they made a decade ago With only five years remaining to meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global attention has once again turned to the pace of progress. The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), taking place at UN Headquarters in New York from 7 to 15 July, is assessing how countries are advancing on five key goals that directly affect billions of people. This year's forum is reviewing progress on five Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Together, these goals shape many aspects of sustainable development, from healthcare and clean water to resilient infrastructure and global cooperation.But the discussions also raise a critical question.The final five years of the 2030 Agenda have begun, bringing renewed focus on whether countries can turn a decade of commitments into measurable results. The latest UN assessments paint a mixed picture. Progress in healthcare, clean water and digital infrastructure has been encouraging in several countries, but it has been uneven. Climate change, economic instability, conflicts and widening inequalities continue to hamper development, leaving many of the Sustainable Development Goals off track. For India, the forum serves as an opportunity to assess both achievements and unfinished priorities.The country has made steady progress by expanding access to drinking water through the Jal Jeevan Mission, strengthening digital public infrastructure, increasing renewable energy capacity and extending healthcare coverage under Ayushman Bharat. Despite these gains, India continues to face hurdles in expanding equitable healthcare, improving sanitation, increasing women's participation in the workforce and developing infrastructure that can withstand climate-related risks. Experts say the HLPF is more than just an annual review of global commitments. It provides a platform for governments to showcase national progress, share successful policies and identify areas where greater international cooperation is needed. Among the key issues expected to dominate discussions is water security. Erratic rainfall, shrinking groundwater reserves and growing urban demand are intensifying pressure on freshwater resources in many parts of the world. Experts say governments must invest not only in expanding water supplies but also in wastewater treatment, river conservation and water-use efficiency. Another key issue before the forum is gender equality. Despite gains in girls' education and women's leadership, significant inequalities persist in employment, equal pay, unpaid care work and personal safety.Experts say achieving the remaining Sustainable Development Goals will depend on ensuring that women and girls have equal access to education, healthcare, financial resources and decision-making opportunities. Health systems are another major focus. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in healthcare systems around the world, highlighting the need for stronger public health infrastructure, better disease surveillance, increased local production of medical supplies and universal health coverage. Delegates are expected to explore ways to build more resilient health systems that are better prepared for future health emergencies. Infrastructure and innovation are also expected to feature prominently in the discussions as countries work towards cleaner and more inclusive economic growth. Investments in sustainable transport, climate-resilient cities, digital connectivity and low-carbon industries are gradually increasing as immediate priorities rather than long-term goals. Experts also stress that innovation must reach underserved communities to ensure the benefits of development are shared more equitably. Despite the diversity of issues on the agenda, one message continues to stand out: achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require collective action, as no country can accomplish them alone.Partnerships between governments, businesses, financial institutions, researchers, civil society organisations and local communities are expected to play a critical role during the final years of the 2030 Agenda. Whether it’s through technology transfer, climate finance, knowledge exchange, or capacity building, stronger global cooperation will largely determine how well countries fill the remaining development gaps.As the forum progresses, the focus is shifting from setting ambitious targets to delivering measurable results. The next five years will be crucial in determining whether global commitments can translate into real improvements in people's lives. For countries like India, the challenge now is to build on recent gains while ensuring that future development is inclusive, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable. The countdown to 2030 has entered its final stretch. The future of the Sustainable Development Goals will be shaped not by the commitments made at international forums, but by how effectively countries turn those commitments into lasting action. Sources: United Nations – High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2026 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Knowledge Platform UN Sustainable Development Report 2025/2026 UN Secretary-General's SDG Progress Report NITI Aayog – SDG India Index Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India Jal Jeevan Mission, Ministry of Jal Shakti Ayushman Bharat, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Open-source reports and official UN HLPF session documents (7–15 July 2026) ...Read more
27 Jul 2026
As human-wildlife encounters become more common, the focus is shifting from compensation to prevention. But is India prepared for that change? For many communities across India, coexisting with wildlife is becoming more challenging.A single night can see elephants destroy standing crops, leopards attacking livestock, crocodiles disrupting fishing activities, or tigers venturing closer to villages. For families who live off the land and water, one encounter can change everything. These incidents are becoming increasingly common rather than being exceptional.Across India, human-wildlife conflict is emerging as a persistent challenge, with consequences for people's lives, livelihoods, and the long-term protection of wildlife. For decades, managing human-wildlife conflict has largely meant responding after the damage is done. Forest officials assess losses, eligible claims are compensated, and affected families receive financial assistance. Typical Compensation process followed by Indian states: Conflict Occurs ↓ Incident Reported (Within 24 hours) ↓ Forest Department Verification (2–7 days) ↓ Damage Assessment (7–15 days) ↓ Approval by Competent Authority ↓ Compensation Released Stage Typical Timeline Reporting Within 24 hours Field Verification 2–7 days Damage Assessment 7–15 days Approval Varies by State Payment As per State Rules Conservationists, however, argue that the focus must now shift from reacting to preventing conflicts before they occur. The conversation is now shifting towards a more important question.As human-wildlife conflicts become more frequent, the key question is no longer just how to compensate losses, but how to prevent them from happening in the first place. The discussion comes as India's wildlife conservation efforts continue to show results. Stronger protection, expanding protected areas, and stricter wildlife laws have helped several flagship species recover. But conservation success has also highlighted a growing challenge. As roads, railways, industries, farms, and settlements continue to fragment natural habitats, the boundaries between human settlements and wildlife habitats continue to blur, thus, encounters between people and wild animals are becoming more frequent. The growing interaction between people and wildlife is transforming the challenge from an environmental concern into a broader societal issue.The issue now spans environmental, social, economic, and governance domains, that demands coordinated action.The consequences extend far beyond the immediate incident. Farmers who lose crops to elephants often face prolonged financial hardship, while families whose livestock is killed by predators can experience reduced income and greater food insecurity. Fatal encounters leave lasting emotional scars and may weaken public support for wildlife conservation. Wildlife is also affected, with animals involved in repeated conflicts often facing injury, relocation and even death. In many instances, both people and wildlife are paying the price for the same pressures on shared landscapes. The more important question, then, is not just how conflicts are managed, but what meaningful success should look like. Perhaps the better measure of success is not how much compensation is paid each year, but whether human–wildlife conflicts become less frequent, communities feel safer, and wildlife populations continue to thrive. Many conservation experts believe lasting progress will come from preventing human-wildlife conflict rather than simply compensating for its consequences. But making that shift will require more than additional funding - it will demand stronger planning, better coordination, and long-term commitment. Achieving that shift will require better planning, stronger data, and closer collaboration between governments, scientists, and local communities. The challenge is that human-wildlife conflict is rarely caused by a single factor, making long-term solutions far more complex. The causes often vary from one region to another. In some areas, elephants move through villages after traditional migration routes are disrupted by highways or expanding farmland. In others, leopards are drawn into settlements by the easy availability of stray animals as prey. Crocodiles may also be seen more often near fishing communities as wetlands shrink and changing water-use patterns alter their habitats. Every landscape has its own mix of ecological and human pressures.Relying on a single compensation mechanism for all incidents may offer short-term relief, but it does little to resolve the conditions that allow these conflicts to persist.This is where real data beats paperwork!Thousands of humans-wildlife conflict incidents are reported across India each year. But experts say documenting these incidents are no longer enough. Experts say equal attention should be given to identifying recurring conflict areas, understanding the species involved, tracking where incidents are most frequent, and evaluating whether current strategies are working or not. Without this level of understanding, authorities often remain focused on responding to conflicts instead of preventing them. This is why many researchers are calling for stronger national systems to monitor and analyse human-wildlife conflict. A modern human-wildlife conflict portal could become far better than a system for recording compensation claims.If used effectively, it could identify emerging hotspots, monitor patterns across states, and help governments take preventive actions before conflicts escalate. The next question, however, is whether such information will be translated into action. Another key question is whether district-level information on human-wildlife conflict incidents and compensation payments will be made publicly accessible. Transparency matters because reliable data not only improves accountability but also helps shape more effective policies.Recurring conflict patterns can help shape more effective responses. Districts that repeatedly experience elephant-related crop damage may need greater investment in early warning systems instead of relying mainly on seasonal compensation. Similarly, an increase in leopard attacks near expanding urban areas may point to the need for improved waste management, better control of stray animal populations, and more informed land-use planning rather than treating each incident as an isolated event. Reliable public datasets can strengthen both transparency and accountability. They enable researchers to identify long-term trends, allow civil society organisations to assess the effectiveness of government interventions, and help local communities anticipate seasonal risks and prepare more effectively. Without transparent and accessible data, discussions often rely on individual incidents rather than long-term evidence. Another important challenge is determining what should be recognised as human-wildlife conflict. Should official records include only reported cases, or also repeated crop damage that goes unreported because compensation is delayed or the claims process is too complex? Should indirect economic losses be considered?And whose experiences are ultimately reflected in official data? These questions may appear technical, but they have a direct impact on how governments understand and respond to human-wildlife conflict. When reporting systems fail to capture the full picture, the challenges faced by affected community remains underestimated. That is why experts argue that strengthening conflict data is not just a technological exercise, it is also about building trust between governments, researchers, and the communities living with wildlife. When communities trust that reporting systems are transparent, accessible, and fair, they are more likely to see themselves as partners in conservation rather than as people carrying its costs. Strengthening that trust will be critical as India's changing landscapes continue to redefine how people and wildlife share space. Highways, railway corridors, power transmission lines, and expanding urban settlements are rapidly transforming landscapes across India. While these projects are vital for economic development, they are also reshaping habitats that wildlife has relied on for generations. The conversation has therefore moved beyond choosing between development and conservation. The greater challenge is ensuring that growth is planned in a way that allows people and wildlife to share landscapes more safely. Making this shift will require moving from a reactive approach to a preventive one- supported by stronger planning, reliable data, and informed policy decisions! Compensation may ease the impact of conflict, but it does not eliminate the causes behind it. That is why conservation experts are increasingly advocating a prevention-first approach. While financial assistance remains essential for families affected by wildlife-related losses, they argue that long-term success depends on reducing the number of conflicts in the first place. This means shifting attention from reacting to incidents towards identifying risks early and preventing them through better planning and management. They believe, the future of human-wildlife conservation, will not depend on how much compensation is paid, but on how many conflicts are prevented. A prevention-first approach is already beginning to shape conservation efforts across India. In several landscapes, communities, forest departments, and researchers are working together to reduce the risk of conflict while promoting safer coexistence between people and wildlife. Some of the strongest lessons from this approach are emerging from India's elephant landscapes. Elephants are among India's most wide-ranging mammals, relying on seasonal migration routes that have connected forests for centuries. Today, many of these natural corridors are being fragmented by expanding agriculture, highways, railway lines, mining projects, and growing settlements. As these pathways disappear, elephants are increasingly forced to move through villages while searching for food or travelling between isolated forest patches. The outcome is often repeated crop damage and, in some cases, dangerous encounters between elephant herds and nearby communities. Rather than responding only after losses occur, several states are investing in prevention. In parts of Odisha, West Bengal, and Karnataka, forest departments and local volunteers monitor elephant movements and issue advance warnings through SMS alerts, WhatsApp groups, public announcement systems, and watch towers, giving communities time to prepare before herds reach their villages. While these systems cannot prevent every incident, they demonstrate the value of acting before conflict occurs.In many situations, timely information can be more effective than responding after the damage is done. Advance warnings give farmers time to avoid entering fields at night, move livestock to safer areas, and reduce the risk of dangerous encounters with elephant herds. Technology is becoming an increasingly important part of human-wildlife conflict management. GPS collars, drones, thermal cameras, and satellite mapping are helping forest departments track wildlife movements more accurately, while artificial intelligence is beginning to identify patterns that could help predict future conflict hotspots.However, experts believe technology works best as part of a broader strategy rather than as a solution on its own.Without effective planning, community participation, and timely action on the ground, even the most advanced tools cannot prevent conflict on their own. Technology can strengthen conservation efforts, but it cannot replace the knowledge and decisions of the people who share landscapes with wildlife.That is why local communities remain at the centre of effective conservation. For generations, Indigenous communities and forest-dependent villages have observed wildlife behaviour through everyday experience, building knowledge that predates modern scientific monitoring. Many understand when elephants are likely to migrate, which streams tigers frequently use, and how shifts in weather can influence the movement of wildlife. Researchers increasingly argue that successful conservation depends not only on scientific knowledge but also on the experience of the communities that have shared these landscapes with wildlife for generations.Instead of treating local communities simply as recipients of compensation, conservation programmes can benefit from involving them as partners in planning, monitoring, and decision-making. Communities that feel heard and included are often more willing to support conservation efforts, while those who feel excluded may become less confident in wildlife protection policies. The value of this partnership is becoming equally prominent in India's tiger landscapes. India is now home to the world's largest wild tiger population, marking a significant conservation success. At the same time, recovering tiger populations are ranging beyond protected reserves into surrounding forests, buffer zones, and agricultural landscapes. This has made the protection of wildlife corridors more important than ever. These natural pathways allow tigers and other species to move safely between forests. When corridors are disrupted or disappear, animals are more likely to cross roads, railway lines, and human settlements, increasing the risk of conflict. Protecting these corridors therefore supports both wildlife conservation and human safety. Well-connected landscapes allow wildlife to move naturally between habitats, reducing the need for animals to pass through villages in search of food or new territories.Although the importance of wildlife corridors is now widely recognised, many continue to come under pressure from expanding infrastructure. Wildlife Corridors and Infrastructure Risks Linear Infrastructure Impact on Wildlife Recommended Mitigation Highways Blocks animal movement Wildlife overpasses & underpasses Railways Animal collisions Underpasses, fencing, speed restrictions Canals Animals trapped Escape ramps Transmission Lines Habitat Fragmentation Careful route planning Expanding Settlements Corridor loss Buffer zones and corridor protectionHighways improve connectivity for people but can restrict the movement of animals. Railway lines support trade and transport, yet poorly planned crossings may increase wildlife deaths. Transmission lines, canals, and industrial development further divide habitats that were once connected. The challenge extends beyond building infrastructure- it is about planning it responsibly. Many conservation scientists argue that potential impacts on wildlife should be identified and disclosed before construction begins, allowing risks to be reduced through better design and mitigation measures. Experts argue that Environmental Impact Assessments should place greater emphasis on wildlife movement, habitat connectivity and long-term conflict risks. Where development cannot be avoided, measures such as wildlife crossings, underpasses, overpasses and fencing should become a standard part of project design. Several projects across India have shown that these interventions allow animals to move safely while reducing collisions with vehicles and trains. Preventing conflict through better planning is often more effective and less costly than addressing it later! Leopard landscapes offer another important lesson. Their ability to survive in forests, farms and urban areas has increased interactions with people. In parts of Maharashtra, forest departments now rely on rapid-response teams that assess situations, manage crowds and prevent unnecessary capture or relocation. Experts say this reflects a broader shift in conservation, where not every wildlife sighting is treated as a crisis. In many cases, informed management and public awareness are more effective than immediate intervention. Simple practices such as securing livestock at night, managing waste responsibly and avoiding crowds around wildlife can significantly reduce risks. A similar approach is evident in India's crocodile habitats. In Gujarat and several other states, crocodiles share rivers, reservoirs and wetlands with nearby communities. Although these encounters receive less attention than conflicts involving elephants or big cats, they highlight the same challenge- coexistence depends on understanding wildlife behaviour rather than reacting out of fear. Awareness programmes promoting safe fishing practices, avoiding nesting areas during breeding seasons and recognising crocodile habitats have helped reduce incidents while protecting wildlife.Across elephant corridors, tiger landscapes, leopard habitats and crocodile wetlands, one message remains clear: the most effective conservation strategies begin not with compensation, but with understanding landscapes and preventing conflict before it occurs. As conversations around coexistence evolve, another issue is becoming increasingly important- data. Thousands of wildlife-conflict incidents involving crop damage, livestock loss, property destruction and human casualties are reported across India every year. Yet experts say the country still lacks a clear understanding of where conflicts occur most often, which species cause the greatest losses and whether existing prevention measures are actually working. Although many states maintain their own reporting systems, differences in formats and limited public access make nationwide analysis difficult. Researchers therefore argue that India needs a transparent, standardised wildlife-conflict database that goes beyond recording compensation claims. Such a system could identify recurring hotspots, track seasonal patterns and help governments prioritise prevention instead of responding only after incidents occur. Dataset PurposeIncident IDUnique record for each conflictDate & Time Identify seasonal and temporal patternsDistrict & State Locate conflict hotspotsGPS Coordinates Precise mapping of incidentsSpecies Involved Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, Crocodile, etc.Type of Conflict Crop damage, livestock loss, property damage, human injury/deathCompensation Claimed Amount requestedCompensation PaidAmount disbursedClaim Processing Time Days taken for settlementPreventive Measures Used Fencing, SMS alerts, watch towers, etc.Incident StatusPending / Verified / Resolved However, better data also depends on deciding what counts as human–wildlife conflict. Many crop losses, livestock attacks and indirect livelihood impacts go unreported because compensation is delayed, difficult to claim or considered insufficient. As a result, official records often underestimate the true burden on affected communities.This is more than a data challenge- it is a question of trust!Communities are more likely to support conservation when reporting systems are transparent, accessible and fair. Inconsistent compensation or lengthy procedures can weaken confidence in both authorities and wildlife protection programmes. Experts therefore argue that improving compensation is important, but making it faster, more transparent and consistent is even more critical. At the same time, compensation alone cannot address repeated losses, fear or declining livelihoods. This has shifted the focus from how much people should be compensated to how conflicts can be prevented altogether. That shift also places greater emphasis on infrastructure planning. As highways, railways, renewable energy projects and industrial development expand, experts believe wildlife movement should be considered before construction begins. Measures such as wildlife crossings, underpasses, canopy bridges and connected corridors can reduce conflict while allowing development and conservation to progress together. Community participation is equally important. Local residents often possess detailed knowledge of wildlife movement and seasonal behaviour, making them valuable partners in conservation rather than passive recipients of compensation. Many successful initiatives now rely on village committees, community volunteers and rapid-response networks to strengthen coexistence. International experience reinforces the same lesson. Community-led conservation in Africa, wildlife crossings in Europe and digital monitoring systems in other regions all demonstrate that preventing conflict is more effective than responding after it has escalated.India's success in protecting tigers, elephants, rhinos, crocodiles and other wildlife mark a major conservation achievement. The next challenge is ensuring that people and wildlife can safely share the landscapes beyond protected areas. Achieving this will require better planning, stronger scientific monitoring, greater recognition of traditional ecological knowledge, fairer compensation and meaningful community participation. Ultimately, the future of conservation will depend not only on protecting wildlife, but on creating landscapes where both people and nature can thrive together! Sources: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Wildlife Institute of India (WII) National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) Project Elephant, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) Forest Survey of India (FSI) State Forest Department reports (Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal) National Wildlife Action Plan (2017–2031) Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (as amended) IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) WWF-India Open-source research papers on human-wildlife conflict, wildlife corridors and coexistence strategies Peer-reviewed journals including Biological Conservation, Conservation Biology, People and Nature and Frontiers in Conservation Science ...Read more
27 Jul 2026
Why mangroves matter to our coasts, climate, livelihoods and future Research-based feature by Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury A World Mangrove Day feature | July 26, 2026 Mangroves grow where ordinary trees would die. They stand in salt water, breathe through roots, raise land with trapped sediment and protect people who may never know the full value of the forest before them. On World Mangrove Day, their story is also the story of the fisher, the honey collector, the child on an embankment and the city living behind a distant green wall. Where the Tide Enters Everyday Life At dawn in the Sundarbans, the boundary between land and water is never still. A fisher pushes a narrow boat into a creek. A woman checks a honey basket before the heat rises. A child walks along an embankment that may have to face the next cyclone. Around them stand trees that look almost impossible: trunks in salt water, roots rising out of mud, leaves shining above a tide that comes and goes twice a day. These are mangroves, and for millions of coastal people they are not scenery. They are security. July 26 is observed as the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, commonly called World Mangrove Day. UNESCO established the day in 2015 to bring attention to an ecosystem that is rare, productive and deeply vulnerable. Mangroves receive less public affection than mountains, rainforests or charismatic wildlife because much of their life is hidden in muddy creeks and waterlogged soil. Yet their work is visible every time they slow a wave, hold a riverbank, shelter a young fish or protect a village before the first rescue team arrives. This day matters because mangroves are disappearing under pressure from aquaculture, urban growth, ports, roads, pollution, dams and rising seas. It also matters because a ceremonial plantation photograph can create the false belief that the problem has been solved. A mangrove is not simply a sapling placed in wet soil. It is a complete relationship among tides, freshwater, sediment, salinity, wildlife and people. World Mangrove Day should therefore be a yearly public audit: Are existing forests safe? Are newly planted trees surviving? Are tidal channels open? Are local communities gaining rights and livelihoods? Are development projects treating mangroves as living infrastructure rather than vacant land? A mangrove is not just a tree in mud. It is a coastal safety system built by nature. A Forest Built for Salt, Mud and Survival Mangroves are groups of salt-tolerant trees, shrubs and palms that grow in the intertidal zone, the strip of coast covered at high tide and exposed at low tide. They are found around estuaries, deltas, lagoons, creeks and sheltered tropical or subtropical shores. Ordinary plants struggle in salty, waterlogged and oxygen-poor soil. Mangroves have evolved remarkable ways to live there. Some block salt at the roots. Some remove salt through their leaves. Some send pencil-like breathing roots, called pneumatophores, above the mud to take in air. Others grow arching prop roots that act like stilts, steadying the tree while slowing water and trapping sediment. They are not one type of tree. Roughly 80 recognised mangrove tree and shrub species occupy different levels of the tidal landscape. One may tolerate stronger salinity near open water; another may need more freshwater and grow farther inland. This zonation is why a natural mangrove forest looks irregular and layered. It is also why a row of identical saplings cannot automatically replace a mature forest. Diversity is not decoration. It is the system's insurance against disease, salinity change, storms and other shocks. A Rare Green Belt Around the World - and Bengal's Great Share The world's mangroves covered about 14.8 million hectares in 2020 and occurred in 123 countries and territories. Nearly 44 per cent lay in South and Southeast Asia. Indonesia holds the largest area, while Brazil, Nigeria, Mexico and Australia are also major mangrove countries. Together, the five account for almost half of the global resource. Large mangrove landscapes also survive along the Amazon and Atlantic coasts of South America, the Niger Delta and West Africa, northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Caribbean and the coasts of South Asia. Globally, mangroves are extensive enough to sustain fisheries and coastal settlements, but rare when compared with other forests. They cover less than one per cent of the world's tropical forest area. FAO estimates show a net global decline of about 284,000 hectares between 2000 and 2020. The rate of loss slowed in the second decade, which proves that protection can work, but the total pressure remains severe. The first global IUCN assessment found that half of assessed mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapse and nearly one-fifth are at high risk. India has around 5000 square kilometres of mangrove cover, according to the India State of Forest Report 2023. This is only 0.15 per cent of the country's geographical area, yet it performs a disproportionately large role in food security, disaster protection and biodiversity. The main regions are the Sundarbans in West Bengal; the Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat; the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; the Krishna and Godavari deltas; Bhitarkanika and the Mahanadi delta; Pichavaram and Muthupet; and the mangrove belts around Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Ratnagiri. West Bengal is India's mangrove capital. Its 2,119.16 square kilometres amount to more than two-fifths of the national total. Almost all of this lies in the southern coastal districts, especially South 24 Parganas. The Sundarbans, shared by India and Bangladesh, is the world's largest mangrove forest and a vast living maze created by the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna river systems. It is a tiger habitat, a fish nursery, a cyclone buffer and a human landscape of islands, farms, embankments, boats and villages. The future of the Sundarbans is therefore tied not only to remote island communities but also to the safety of Kolkata and the wider Bengal delta. Mangroves Grow When Water Is Allowed to Move Mangroves are hardy, but they cannot be planted anywhere that looks muddy. They grow best in warm, frost-free weather, usually in sheltered tropical and subtropical waters where waves are not continuously violent. They need regular tides that carry water, nutrients, seeds and fine sediment. They need the right balance of salt and fresh water. They need soft soil at the correct height in relation to the tide. Above all, they need a functioning water system. There is no single best month for every Indian coastline. The monsoon and post-monsoon season may provide useful moisture and seed availability in many places, but local tides, rainfall, elevation and species matter more than the date on a plantation calendar. A sapling placed too low may drown or be washed away. One placed too high may not receive enough tidal water. A species suited to a saline outer creek may fail in a freshwater-influenced inner zone, and vice versa. The most important human intervention is often not planting but ecological repair. Illegal pond walls may need to be breached so tides return. Blocked creeks may need to be reopened. Dams, barrages and excessive withdrawal upstream must be managed so freshwater and sediment can still reach deltas. Grazing, dumping, cutting and trampling must be controlled. Native species must be matched to the exact site. Once the hydrology is restored, floating seeds and propagules can settle naturally, creating a more diverse and resilient forest than a hurried monoculture plantation. Mangroves also need space to move inland as sea level rises. Where roads, walls, industries or settlements block that movement, the forest becomes trapped between development and the advancing sea. Scientists call this coastal squeeze. A serious restoration policy must therefore protect migration space, not only today's tree line. One Forest, Many Strengths Different mangroves perform different jobs. Avicennia species are often first settlers on new mud. Their pencil-like breathing roots stabilise soft ground, tolerate considerable salinity and prepare the site for other life. Rhizophora species form dramatic prop-root walls that slow water, trap sediment and create hiding places for young fish, prawns and crabs. Sonneratia commonly grows near channels and estuaries; its roots, flowers, fruit and falling leaves feed a wide aquatic web. Excoecaria agallocha, often called gewa or blind-your-eye mangrove because its sap can irritate the eyes, grows on relatively higher ground and helps bind riverbank soil. Bengal's signature tree is the Sundari, Heritiera fomes, from which the Sundarbans takes its name. It carries ecological and cultural meaning, but it is globally threatened and sensitive to changing salinity and disease. Nypa fruticans, known locally as golpata in parts of the delta, is a mangrove palm whose leaves have long been used for roofing and thatching; elsewhere in Asia its sap is turned into sugar and vinegar. Bruguiera, Ceriops, Aegiceras, Xylocarpus and Phoenix paludosa add further layers of habitat and protection. In some regions, fruits of Sonneratia and processed products from Avicennia are used as food, while mangrove plants remain subjects of research for antioxidant, antimicrobial and other medicinal properties. Such uses should be scientifically tested and harvested within ecological limits. Together, these species create a living wall. The outer roots take the first force of waves. The forest slows currents. The roots hold soil. Sediment settles. Floodwater spreads with less destructive energy. Mangroves cannot stop every cyclone and should not be presented as a magical substitute for embankments, shelters, warning systems or evacuation plans. But a broad, healthy mangrove belt combined with well-designed infrastructure is often safer and more economical than concrete alone. The forest is also a fish factory. Juvenile fish and shellfish shelter among the roots, feed on leaf litter and later move into rivers and the sea. Birds nest and feed there. Crocodiles, turtles, dolphins, fishing cats, insects and countless smaller organisms depend on the connected landscape. For people, the same forest supports fishing, crab collection, honey and beeswax, leaves, crafts, nature guiding and tourism. The commercial benefit begins with the simple fact that a living mangrove keeps producing value year after year. The Crisis Is Not Only Cutting - It Is Bad Restoration The old image of mangrove destruction is a chainsaw. Today's crisis is more complicated. Forests are cleared or enclosed for shrimp ponds, salt pans, ports, roads, tourism and real estate. Urban sewage, plastic, industrial chemicals and oil choke roots and poison the food web. Dams and river engineering reduce freshwater and sediment, raising salinity and weakening the delta. Climate change adds higher seas, stronger storm impacts, erosion and changing rainfall. The second crisis is restoration that looks successful on paper but fails in the mud. Authorities may announce lakhs of planted seedlings without reporting how many remain alive after three or five years. Easy-to-grow Avicennia may be planted in straight rows everywhere, even where another species or natural mudflat should remain. Saplings may be pushed into deep water, exposed shorelines, seagrass beds or sites cut off from tides. Some projects protect the planting for a photograph but not from grazing, waves, garbage or later encroachment. A larger green patch on a satellite image does not necessarily mean a healthier ecosystem. The patch may be a young single-species block with little fish or bird life. It may have poor water exchange or weak soil. Real success must be judged through survival, natural regeneration, species diversity, tidal flow, sediment condition, fisheries recovery, carbon accumulation and benefits to local people. The first rule should be to protect mature forests, because an old, diverse mangrove and its deep soil carbon cannot be recreated quickly by planting new saplings elsewhere. Plantation numbers are easy to announce. A living, diverse forest is much harder to create. Blue Carbon - The Wealth Hidden Under the Mud Mangroves absorb carbon dioxide while growing. Some carbon remains in trunks, branches, leaves and roots, but a very large share enters waterlogged, oxygen-poor soil where decomposition is slow. Carbon held in coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes is called blue carbon. UNEP reports a global average mangrove carbon stock of around 1,000 tonnes of carbon per hectare, including soil, though the real figure varies greatly by location, age, depth and ecology. Per unit area, mangroves can hold several times more carbon than many land forests, with much of it safely buried below ground. Two ideas are often confused. Carbon stock is the carbon already stored in an existing forest and its soil. Carbon sequestration is the additional carbon captured over time. Protecting an old mangrove saves a huge existing stock and prevents emissions from damaged or drained soil. Restoring a degraded site may gradually add new carbon, but it does not instantly replace what was lost. Mangrove carbon farming means protecting, restoring or scientifically expanding mangroves in ways that increase storage or avoid emissions. A credible project must prove that the climate benefit is real and additional, meaning it would not have happened without the project. It must measure carbon through field plots, tree data, soil sampling and remote sensing. It must show permanence, prevent destruction from merely shifting elsewhere, avoid double counting and explain what happens if a cyclone damages the forest. Accounting may also need to consider methane and nitrous oxide, especially where water flow has been badly altered. This is why blue-carbon credits are an opportunity, not free money. Measurement, reporting and verification take years. Land and carbon rights must be clear. Independent checks cost money. Carbon prices change. Claims can be exaggerated, and companies can use cheap credits as a public-relations shield while avoiding deeper cuts in their own emissions. Carbon finance should support genuine climate action, not become a licence to pollute. A Mangrove Economy Must Reward the People Who Keep It Alive The commercial value of mangroves is much wider than carbon credits. They support fish, prawns, crabs and shellfish; protect houses, farms, roads and businesses; reduce erosion and embankment repair; improve water quality; sustain honey, wax and plant products; and create work in nurseries, monitoring, guiding, kayaking, wildlife tourism and research. Some insurers and coastal investors are beginning to see mangroves as natural infrastructure because reducing storm and flood damage also reduces financial risk. A World Bank study in Indonesia estimated that the combined services of mangroves average about USD 15,000 per hectare per year, with some locations approaching USD 50,000. These figures cannot be copied directly into an Indian project, because population, fisheries, land value and storm exposure differ. But they show why the standing forest may be worth far more than the one-time profit from clearing it. West Bengal's experience with sustainable aquaculture offers another path. Models such as Sustainable Aquaculture in Mangrove Ecosystems, or SAIME, try to combine fish and shrimp production with the restoration of mangrove vegetation rather than creating closed ponds after total clearance. When carefully managed, such systems can improve water quality, reduce disease risk, diversify incomes and sell responsibly produced seafood at a better price. Carbon revenue can help pay for nurseries, community guards, scientific monitoring, cyclone preparedness, women's self-help groups and alternative livelihoods. Yet a project becomes unjust when outside developers own the contracts while fishers, honey collectors and island residents do the work and lose access to the forest. Every agreement should openly state who owns the carbon rights, who receives the money, who carries the risk, how long protection will continue and how customary access will be respected. The best mangrove economy is not based on fencing people out. It is based on keeping the forest alive while rewarding those who protect it. The greatest commercial benefit of mangroves is a coast that remains alive, productive and safe. From a Government Scheme to a People's Movement India has a policy foundation for action. The Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes, or MISHTI, was launched on June 5, 2023. Government reporting stated that 22,560.34 hectares of degraded mangrove area had been taken up through convergence across 13 States and Union Territories by August 2025, while additional work received gap funding through National CAMPA. Reporting for 2025 cited 4,536 hectares brought under restoration during that year, and in June 2026 the Union environment minister referred to a national target of restoring 54,000 hectares by 2028. The Coastal Regulation Zone Notification of 2019 classifies mangroves as ecologically sensitive areas and provides a 50-metre buffer where mangrove cover exceeds 1,000 square metres. Where development affects mangroves, compensatory planting at three times the number lost is required. But the ecological lesson is important: three saplings are not the same as one mature tree, and a planted patch is not the same as an old tidal forest. Regulation must prevent destruction first, not merely promise replacement later. For mangroves to become a national environment movement, they must connect causes that are often kept separate: climate action and disaster protection, river health and coastal security, fisher rights and biodiversity, women's livelihoods and community leadership, city planning and wetland protection, science and traditional knowledge. Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, Surat and other coastal cities depend on healthy creeks and buffers even when citizens rarely see the connection. The movement needs public survival audits for every funded plantation, with locations, species, spending and three-to-five-year results placed online. It needs mangrove clubs in schools and colleges, community nurseries run by women's groups, citizen mapping of blocked creeks and pollution, and green-grey engineering that combines natural buffers with appropriate embankments. Most importantly, fishers, farmers, honey collectors and island residents must sit at the planning table and receive a fair share of benefits. Conservation becomes durable when local people are not treated as threats but as partners and knowledge holders. Mangrove warriors like teachers Uma Shankar Mandal and Ramkrishna Sarkar of the Sundarban area have taken up this battle with the help of local women, creating mangrove armies of women, planting trees, taking care of them, and getting small support in kind for the women from the society at large. Their valiant work has created areas with more than half a million mangrove trees in various blocs of Sundarban. What One Citizen Can Do - Even Far From the Sea A person living hundreds of kilometres inland still sends waste towards the coast through drains and rivers. Reducing single-use plastic and chemical pollution is therefore mangrove action. So is asking where prawns and shrimp come from, because destructive aquaculture remains a major driver of clearing. Travellers can choose community homestays, local guides and responsible boat operators rather than tourism that disturbs wildlife or dumps waste. People who donate to plantation campaigns should ask harder questions. Was the site historically a mangrove area? Is tidal water reaching it? Are native species being used? Are local residents involved? Who will protect the saplings for at least three to five years? Is the project restoring a forest or merely counting trees? Random planting is not helpful; scientific, community-based ecological restoration is. Citizens can photograph and report illegal dumping, burning, creek blockage, land filling and cutting. Students can adopt a creek, document birds and crabs, measure plantation survival, interview coastal residents and create local-language awareness material. Consumers can support legally and sustainably produced honey, handicrafts and seafood. Social media users can make mangroves visible not only on July 26 but whenever a port, road, resort or real-estate project threatens a tidal ecosystem. The message of World Mangrove Day is finally very simple. A mangrove is a storm barrier, fish nursery, carbon vault, wildlife home, water filter and source of work. It protects a village before a rescue vehicle arrives and supports a fishing family without appearing in a conventional balance sheet. We should not merely plant a mangrove. We must protect the water, soil, wildlife and people that allow an entire mangrove forest to live. Research and Source Note This feature fully synthesises the attached background document and cross-checks time-sensitive figures against official or primary institutional sources available up to July 2026. The economic values cited from Indonesia illustrate the scale of ecosystem services and should not be transferred directly to Indian sites without local valuation. UNESCO - International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem - Open official source FAO - The World's Mangroves 2000-2020 and global distribution data - Open official source IUCN - Red List of Mangrove Ecosystems global assessment - Open official source Forest Survey of India - India State of Forest Report 2023 - Open official source Press Information Bureau - Mangrove conservation and ISFR 2023 state-wise cover - Open official source Press Information Bureau - MISHTI implementation across States and Union Territories - Open official source UNEP - Mangrove forests and blue-carbon stocks - Open official source IPCC AR6 Working Group III - Reducing conversion of coastal wetlands - Open official source World Bank - Economics of large-scale mangrove conservation and restoration in Indonesia - Open official source ...Read more
27 Jul 2026
Human civilization has reached a decisive moment. For centuries, progress was measured by how much we could produce, construct, consume and control. Forests became timber. Rivers became resources. Land became real estate. Human beings became workers, consumers and data points. Economic growth became more important than ecological balance, and speed often became more important than wisdom. That model of progress has brought extraordinary scientific and technological advances. But it has also produced polluted air, poisoned water, exhausted soil, disappearing species, crowded cities, climate anxiety, lifestyle diseases, social isolation and widening inequality. The great challenge before humanity is no longer simply how to grow. It is how to grow without destroying the foundations of life. Sustainability is therefore not a fashionable idea, a specialised environmental subject or an optional corporate activity. It is the most important civilizational principle for the future. It is the discipline of meeting human needs without stealing resources, health and opportunities from future generations. Sustainability asks a fundamental question: Can we live well without making the planet, society or ourselves unwell? The answer to that question will shape the future of humanity. And SustainVerse will bring you this answer in myriad ways, every day, through words and visuals, videos and audios, learning and action, stories and advice, in every possible form. Sustainability Begins with the Human Body A sustainable civilization must begin with sustainable human beings. Modern life is increasingly characterised by processed food, disturbed sleep, long working hours, screen addiction, physical inactivity and constant psychological pressure. Many people are materially connected but emotionally exhausted. They possess more devices, yet experience less peace. They have access to more information, but struggle to find meaning. Sustainable living restores balance. It encourages nutritious and locally available food, regular movement, adequate rest, preventive healthcare, clean surroundings and a healthier relationship with technology. It values moderation over excess and well-being over endless consumption. Physical health cannot be separated from environmental health. Polluted air damages the lungs. Contaminated water spreads disease. Chemical-heavy food affects the body. Extreme heat increases cardiovascular and occupational risks. Noise pollution disturbs sleep and mental stability. A healthy person requires a healthy habitat. Mental and Emotional Sustainability Matter Human beings cannot live permanently in a state of competition, comparison and anxiety. A sustainable life creates space for reflection, relationships, community, creativity and emotional recovery. It recognises that mental health is not merely an individual medical issue. It is influenced by the way our cities, workplaces, schools, digital platforms and social systems are designed. Green spaces, walkable neighbourhoods, meaningful work, supportive communities and access to art and nature can improve emotional well-being. A society that protects time, dignity and human relationships is more sustainable than one that only maximises productivity. Emotional sustainability also means learning to live with empathy. It requires us to care about people whom we may never meet and generations that have not yet been born. Sustainability is, ultimately, an act of responsibility and compassion. Ecological Preservation Is Human Preservation Forests, rivers, wetlands, oceans, mountains, grasslands and mangroves are not decorative features of the planet. They are living systems that protect and sustain civilization. Forests regulate climate and support biodiversity. Wetlands absorb floods. Mangroves protect coastlines from storms. Healthy soil produces nutritious food. Rivers sustain agriculture and settlements. Oceans regulate weather and support millions of livelihoods. When ecosystems collapse, economies and societies collapse with them. Ecological preservation must therefore move from the margins of policymaking to its centre. Development projects must be evaluated not only by the roads, buildings or revenue they generate, but also by the forests, water systems, communities and biodiversity they affect. Human beings are not outside nature. We are part of nature. To protect ecology is not to oppose development. It is to protect the conditions under which development can continue. Education Must Teach Us How to Live The education system of the future cannot remain limited to examinations, degrees and employment. Learners must understand climate change, biodiversity, water, energy, food systems, waste, health and responsible consumption. Sustainability must not be treated as one chapter in a textbook. It must become a way of learning and living. Schools and universities can become living laboratories of sustainability through rainwater harvesting, renewable energy, waste segregation, biodiversity gardens, local food systems, repair workshops and community projects. Students should learn not only how to solve equations, but also how to solve real problems. They should learn to observe nature, work with communities, question wasteful practices and design responsible alternatives. Better learning practices are experiential, interdisciplinary and connected to life. They develop curiosity, cooperation, resilience and ethical judgment. Education must prepare young people not merely to enter the existing world, but to improve it. Mobility Must Move People, Not Pollution Transport is essential to modern civilization, but poorly designed mobility systems damage health, climate and quality of life. Cities cannot remain dependent on endless private vehicles, congested roads and fossil fuels. Sustainable mobility requires reliable public transport, safe walking paths, cycling infrastructure, shared mobility, cleaner fuels and appropriately designed electric transportation. The goal should not simply be to replace every petrol vehicle with an electric vehicle. The deeper goal must be to reduce unnecessary travel, shorten distances between homes and workplaces, improve public transport and design cities around people rather than automobiles. Sustainable mobility saves fuel, lowers emissions, reduces noise, improves public health and gives citizens more time. A good city is not one where the wealthy move rapidly in private cars while others struggle. It is one where every person can move safely, affordably and with dignity. Clean Air, Water and Food Are Fundamental Rights No society can call itself advanced when its citizens must purchase clean air, depend on tankers for water or worry about toxins in everyday food. Sustainability demands that clean air, safe water and nutritious food be treated as public priorities. Cleaner energy and transport can reduce air pollution. Watershed protection, wastewater treatment, rainwater harvesting and responsible groundwater use can strengthen water security. Regenerative agriculture, reduced chemical dependence, crop diversity and shorter supply chains can improve food quality. Food systems must also become fairer. Farmers should receive dignity and viable incomes. Consumers should receive safe and nutritious food. Nature should not be forced to bear the hidden cost of excessive chemical use, packaging, transportation and waste. Every breath, every glass of water and every meal connects human life to ecological systems. Sustainability Can Enrich Art and Culture Sustainability is not only about survival. It is also about beauty. Art, architecture, fashion, design, cinema, music and public culture can help people imagine a more harmonious civilization. Natural materials, local traditions, climate-sensitive architecture and indigenous knowledge can inspire contemporary creativity. Aesthetic sustainability does not mean rejecting modernity. It means creating beauty without waste, exploitation or ecological destruction. Art can transform sustainability from a technical conversation into an emotional experience. A painting can make a forest loss visible. A film can humanise a climate disaster. A song can unite a community. A well-designed public space can restore dignity and belonging. Culture teaches us what to admire, celebrate and desire. When culture glorifies excess, waste grows. When culture celebrates care, balance, craftsmanship and connection with nature, sustainable living becomes aspirational. The future must not only be greener. It must also be more beautiful. Healthcare Must Move from Treatment to Prevention Modern medicine has achieved remarkable success, but healthcare systems are increasingly burdened by diseases linked to pollution, stress, sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy food. Sustainable healthcare begins before a patient enters a hospital. It includes clean surroundings, nutritious food, preventive screening, physical activity, mental health support and public awareness. Hospitals themselves can reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, conserve water, manage biomedical materials responsibly and adopt greener procurement systems. Technology can expand access through telemedicine, remote diagnosis and better data systems. But technology must remain humane, affordable and inclusive. A sustainable healthcare system does not merely treat disease. It creates the conditions in which fewer people fall ill. Sustainable Business Is Better Business The business world is discovering that sustainability is not charity. It is strategy. Companies depend on stable supplies of water, energy, materials, labour and social trust. Climate disruption, resource scarcity, pollution, fragile supply chains and community conflict create direct business risks. Sustainable businesses use resources efficiently, reduce waste, design durable products, protect workers and build responsible supply chains. They invest in renewable energy, circular production, ethical sourcing and innovation. They do not merely ask, “How much profit can we make?” They also ask, “How is that profit being made, and what does it leave behind?” The businesses that understand sustainability will gain consumer trust, attract talent, reduce long-term costs and remain resilient in a changing world. Those that ignore it may find their technologies outdated, their supply chains disrupted and their reputations damaged. Sustainability is not against enterprise. It is the foundation of responsible and lasting enterprise. Stability Is More Valuable Than Reckless Speed Civilizations often become vulnerable when they pursue growth faster than their ecological and social systems can sustain. Unsustainable progress creates temporary prosperity and permanent damage. It can increase production while reducing soil fertility. It can expand cities while destroying water bodies. It can raise incomes while worsening health. It can build infrastructure while displacing communities and weakening ecosystems. Real progress must be stable, inclusive and regenerative. It must create jobs without degrading workers. It must expand infrastructure without destroying natural protection systems. It must increase prosperity without concentrating all benefits in a few hands. Sustainability provides civilization with resilience—the capacity to absorb shocks, recover from disasters and adapt to change. A sustainable society may sometimes move more carefully. But it moves with greater certainty. From Extracting to Regenerating The next stage of civilization must move beyond reducing harm. We must begin repairing what has been damaged. Regenerative agriculture can restore soil. Reforestation can revive landscapes. Wetland restoration can reduce floods. Circular manufacturing can recover materials. Responsible urban planning can bring nature back into cities. Community-led conservation can protect biodiversity while strengthening livelihoods. The future cannot be built only through less pollution, less waste and less destruction. It must also produce more biodiversity, more clean energy, more public health, more dignity and more social trust. The goal is not simply to leave a smaller footprint. It is to leave the Earth healthier because we lived on it. Everyone Has a Role Governments must create strong policies and enforce environmental safeguards. Businesses must redesign products, supply chains and investment priorities. Educational institutions must prepare responsible citizens. Media and cultural organisations must make sustainability understandable and engaging. But individuals also have power. Every purchase is a signal. Every journey is a choice. Every meal has an ecological story. Every unit of electricity and every litre of water connects personal behaviour to a larger system. Individual action alone cannot solve the crisis, but collective individual action can reshape markets, culture and politics. We can consume more thoughtfully, waste less, protect local ecosystems, support responsible businesses, use public transport, conserve water, reduce disposable materials and demand accountability from institutions. Sustainability must move from conferences into kitchens, classrooms, offices, factories, hospitals, farms, streets and homes. The Defining Idea of Our Time Every age is shaped by one great civilizational idea. The industrial age was shaped by production. The digital age was shaped by information and connectivity. The age ahead must be shaped by sustainability. Without sustainability, technological progress may deepen ecological destruction. Economic growth may increase instability. Medical advances may be overwhelmed by environmental disease. Artificial intelligence may become powerful while human wisdom remains weak. With sustainability, however, technology can serve life. Business can create prosperity with responsibility. Education can nurture informed citizens. Cities can become healthier. Agriculture can protect soil. Culture can celebrate balance. Healthcare can focus on prevention. Progress can become more stable and more humane. Sustainability is not a limitation on human ambition. It is the highest expression of human intelligence. It asks us to build without destroying, consume without exhausting, travel without poisoning, create without wasting and prosper without depriving others. The future of civilization will not be decided only by how advanced our machines become. It will be decided by whether humanity learns to live within limits, share resources fairly and protect the living systems that make every economy, society and dream possible. Sustainability is not one issue among many. It is the foundation connecting health, ecology, education, mobility, culture, medicine, business and human progress. There is no lasting prosperity on a dying planet. There is no healthy society in an unhealthy environment. And there is no meaningful future unless sustainability becomes the central promise of human civilization. And this meaningful future and what are we doing for this future, shall be explored every day through words, visuals, stories, news, voices, products, services, technologies, learning, recognition, et al, on the platform of SustainVerse. ...Read more
27 Jul 2026
As demand for solar power grows, a less visible challenge is beginning to shape the future of India's clean energy ambitions. Kolkata | July 27, 2026: India's solar sector has grown rapidly in recent years, accelerating the country's transition towards cleaner energy. But behind the expansion of solar parks and rooftop systems lies a challenge that could shape the pace of future growth! As domestic production grows and the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) continues to evolve, the focus is no longer on installing more solar panels. It is on whether India can build a resilient, self-reliant manufacturing ecosystem capable of overcoming long-term supply chain challenges. The biggest hurdle is the limited availability of solar cells. Although India's module manufacturing capacity has grown rapidly, many manufacturers still rely on imported cells to keep production on track. While experts expect supply pressures to ease in the coming years, companies are gradually adopting vertical integration - expanding in-house manufacturing to strengthen supply chains and build long-term resilience. The challenge extends beyond manufacturing more solar panels. Producing a solar module involves several stages-from processing polysilicon into wafers, converting those wafers into solar cells, and finally assembling them into modules. Experts say strengthening every step of this value chain is essential for reducing import dependence and building a more flexible domestic manufacturing ecosystem. How a Solar Panel Is Made: POLYSILICON │ Purified silicon used as the raw material ↓ WAFERS Thin slices cut from polysilicon ingots ↓ SOLAR CELLS Convert sunlight into electricity ↓ SOLAR MODULES Multiple solar cells assembled into a panel ↓ SOLAR POWER SYSTEM Installed in homes, industries and solar parks Source: MNRE, Industry reports The revised Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) framework is reinforcing the push for domestic manufacturing. But the next phase will depend on execution.Can local solar-cell production expand fast enough to meet the rising demand? Will manufacturers be able to scale up without increasing costs? And how quickly can new production capacity become operational? India's Solar Manufacturing Gap Manufacturing SegmentCurrent SituationPolysiliconLimited domestic capacityWafersDevelopingSolar CellsSupply remains constrainedSolar ModulesStrong manufacturing capacity Project developers are closely monitoring these changes. Many say procurement decisions are now being shaped by domestic content requirements. While stronger local manufacturing could improve long-term supply security, companies are also evaluating its impact on equipment availability, delivery timelines, and overall project costs during the transition. Manufacturers believe the long-term solution lies in enhancing the entire supply chain. They say expanding domestic solar-cell production, bringing new manufacturing facilities online, and improving access to advanced technologies can help ease future shortages while making Indian-made solar equipment more competitive in global markets.According to industry experts, the focus shouldn’t be limited to large manufacturers. Smaller technology firms, component suppliers, and equipment makers are also expected to play a crucial role in strengthening India's solar manufacturing ecosystem. Better access to finance, technology partnerships, and supportive policies could let a wider range of businesses fuel the move towards cleaner energy. Experts say stronger collaboration between the government, industry, and project developers will be essential. Clear regulations, reliable procurement policies, and sustained investment in domestic manufacturing can help strengthen the entire solar value chain, pushing India beyond mere panel assembly. India's clean energy ambitions depend not only on installing more solar panels but also on building a stronger domestic manufacturing ecosystem. While current supply constraints may be temporary, the decisions made today could shape the country's ability to develop a globally competitive solar industry in the coming years. As India's clean energy transition gathers pace, the next phase will depend not only on expanding solar capacity but also on strengthening every stage of the solar manufacturing value chain. Sources: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) Ministry of Commerce & Industry (Government of India) Open-source industry reports on India's solar manufacturing and supply chain ...Read more
24 Jul 2026
The latest Environmental Performance Index reveals global leaders and laggards, while raising important questions about wealth, policy and environmental progress. Imagine two countries. One enjoys clean rivers, healthy forests, and fresh air. The other struggles with polluted cities, shrinking biodiversity, and rising climate risks. On the surface, the difference looks financial - richer nations simply have more means to safeguard the environment. But is it so? The 2026 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) has once again highlighted on how nations rank on nature conservation and public health.Estonia claimed the top position this year, while European countries continued to dominate the rankings.Many lower-income countries continued to rank near the bottom, but the results raise a bigger question: Is environmental performance simply a reflection of economic wealth? It’s not a simple yes-or-no answer! Developed by Yale researchers, the Environmental Performance Index ranks countries based on dozens of environmental indicators. It evaluates factors such as air quality, sanitation, waste, biodiversity, climate policy, and ecosystem protection. The index goes beyond a single environmental measure, evaluating how effectively countries pursue economic growth while safeguarding the environment. The rankings matter every year because they tell a bigger story: not just who’s ahead or behind, but what path each country chose for development.Estonia's climb to the top is the result of long-term planning. Over the years, it has strengthened environmental policies while investing in clean energy, efficient waste management, and digital systems that support better management of natural resources.Across Europe, many countries have shown that economic growth and strong environmental standards can advance together. These results raise a further issue: if the European model is so effective, why has it not been applied globally?For many developing countries, the issue is less about ambition and more about competing priorities. With limited resources, governments must balance environmental action alongside poverty reduction, healthcare, housing, employment, and infrastructure.Many countries lack the financial resources needed to invest in clean technology or to restore degraded ecosystems. Rapid urbanisation makes it worse. Unchecked expansion of roads, housing, and industry often leads to higher pollution, shrinking green spaces, and increasing pressure on natural resources.The challenge is compounded by climate change. Countries with the lowest emissions are often among the most vulnerable to extreme weather, forcing governments to spend scarce resources on recovery instead of long-term environmental improvements. Comparing countries at different stages of economic development can therefore be misleading. A lower ranking does not necessarily indicate weak environmental commitment. It often reflects differences in income, governance, access to technology, and historical development. Similarly, a higher ranking does not mean every environmental challenge has been resolved.Experts say the bigger story lies beyond the rankings. Instead of focusing on who tops the list, they encourage a closer look at how countries are improving and where further action is needed. Ultimately, sustained progress is a better measure of success than rank alone. Countries that steadily improve air quality, expand renewable energy, strengthen waste management, or protect biodiversity are making meaningful progress, even if their rankings remain low. At the same time, top-performing countries cannot afford to be complacent, as environmental and climate challenges continue to evolve. The 2026 EPI also highlights that environmental protection cannot rest solely with governments. Businesses can reduce their environmental impact by adopting cleaner production methods and cutting emissions. Researchers help shape better policies through scientific evidence. Communities protect local ecosystems, while individuals contribute by conserving water, reducing waste, and choosing more sustainable products. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this year's rankings is that wealth alone does not define environmental success. Lasting progress depends just as much on effective policies, strong institutions, and sustained action. Experts say lasting environmental progress is built on strong institutions, effective policies, public participation, and long-term planning. Countries that treat sustainability as a continuous priority rather than a short-term initiative are often the ones that achieve enduring results. The real value of the 2026 Environmental Performance Index lies beyond the rankings. Instead of debating who stands at the top or bottom, it should prompt every country to focus on a more meaningful challenge: What practical actions can we take today to create a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient future? At the end of the day, environmental progress is measured not by a country's position on a global index but by the difference it makes on the ground-cleaner air, healthier ecosystems, and better lives for the people who rely on them. Sources: Centre for Integrated Earth System InformationYale Centre for Geospatial Solutions ...Read more
24 Jul 2026
When coastal communities get the right support, the journey from the sea to the market can become a story of resilience, livelihoods and sustainable growth. Kolkata |24 July, 2026: For thousands of families along India's coastline, fishing is more than a livelihood- it is a way of life.But rising sea levels, shifting weather patterns, and declining fish stocks are making it harder for coastal communities to sustain their livelihoods. As climate threats increase, communities are exploring new approaches to protect their incomes and natural resources. On July 9, 2026, three women's self-help groups (SHGs) from Maharashtra brought value-added seafood products to a national exhibition under the Enhancing Climate Resilience of India's Coastal Communities (ECRICC) project, highlighting new livelihood opportunities for coastal communities.The initiative proves climate adaptation isn’t just about resilience - it’s about new jobs and income. By backing women entrepreneurs, sustainable fisheries and better market access, it shifts climate action from cost to opportunity. Instead of selling fresh fish at modest prices, the women are creating value-added seafood products through processing, packaging, and branding, helping them earn more from every catch.According to experts, this approach boosts household incomes, raises profit margins, cuts post-harvest losses, and generates new jobs in coastal communities.It also promotes improved food safety standards and gives producers access to wider markets and new customers beyond their local communities. The process begins with seafood sourced responsibly from local fishermen, followed by cleaning, processing, packaging and labelling prior to distribution through exhibitions, retailers and local markets. This coast-to-consumer value chain generates employment at every step - from procurement and processing to packaging, branding and marketing. Experts say models like this help communities earn more from existing resources rather than adding pressure on fish stocks. Local Fishermen ↓ Sustainable Fish Harvest ↓ Cleaning & Processing ↓ Packaging & Branding ↓ Food Safety & Licensing ↓ Exhibitions / Retail Markets ↓ Consumers The initiative is supported by the Mangrove Cell, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Green Climate Fund under the ECRICC project.The programme equipped women with skills across the entire business chain; including food processing, quality control, branding, packaging, licensing, and enterprise management, while providing financial and business support too. These skills are helping them build businesses that can withstand climate and economic shocks. Experts say the real challenge begins after the exhibition. Long-term success will depend on building reliable supply chains, maintaining food safety standards, strengthening branding, improving logistics, and expanding access to stable markets. Quality products alone are not enough. Without strong support system, community enterprises may find it difficult to compete in larger markets. Growing coastal businesses is only a part of the solution. Experts say long-term success will depend on balancing economic opportunities with healthy marine ecosystems through sustainable fishing, responsible sourcing, and stronger mangrove conservation. Sustainable management of local fisheries will be crucial to ensuring marine resources remain available for future generations.Experts believe wider access to finance, digital sales platforms, and organised retail networks can help women's self-help groups scale their businesses. Continued institutional support will be equally important to ensure growth is environmentally sustainable and community-driven. ProductValue AdditionCommunity BenefitDried FishHygienic processing & packagingLonger shelf life and higher incomeFish PickleReady-to-eat productBetter profit marginsFish PowderNutrient-rich food ingredientReduced fish wastePrawn PicklePremium branded productAccess to urban marketsDry Fish SnacksRetail-ready packagingEmployment for women The Maharashtra initiative suggests that climate resilience is built not only by protecting the environment but also by strengthening livelihoods. Experts say supporting women-led enterprises, improving seafood value chains, and conserving coastal ecosystemscan create a future where economic development and environmental sustainability reinforce one another. Document Support:Press Information Bureau (9 July 2026), Mangrove Cell, Government of Maharashtra, Enhancing Climate Resilience of India's Coastal Communities (ECRICC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Green Climate Fund (GCF), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) – Food processing and licensing guidelines (background reference) Sources: Press Information Bureau (PIB) – 9 July 2026, Mangrove Cell, Government of Maharashtra, Enhancing Climate Resilience of India's Coastal Communities (ECRICC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Green Climate Fund (GCF) ...Read more
23 Jul 2026
India's green hydrogen ambitions are entering a phase where proving claims may matter as much as making them. Kolkata | 23 July, 2026: India is betting big on green hydrogen, with plans to establish itself as a global leader in the emerging clean fuel sector. As policies take shape and investments grow, the focus is shifting from ambition to execution. Can India's green hydrogen meet global expectations and earn international trust? On 2 July 2026, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) highlighted India's progress under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with the focus shifting towards certification, quality assurance, and global market preparedness.Experts say it’s time to move beyond promises. The real test begins now: can producers meet global benchmarks and win the confidence of international buyers? Renewable electricity is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen to produce green hydrogen. It is seen as critical for decarbonising industries that cannot easily switch to electricity, such as steel, fertilisers, refineries and shipping. Experts argue that making green hydrogen is only half of the task. Proving that it is produced with renewable electricity is equally important, keeping emissions low throughout the process, and meeting certification standards expected by both domestic and global markets. The launch of the certification portal in June marked a significant step in that direction. It aims to help producers track renewable power, assess emissions intensity, and demonstrate alignment with global sustainability benchmarks. Renewable Energy ↓ Electrolyser ↓Green Hydrogen ↓Certification & Testing ↓Storage & Transport ↓Industrial Users(Steel • Fertiliser • Refineries • Shipping • Heavy Mobility) Industry experts believe such transparency will make Indian hydrogen more competitive, especially with export markets raising their environmental bar high. There’s a gap between promise and plant. Many firms have unveiled green hydrogen plans, but commercial production remains the exception.According to analysts, distinguishing between announced projects and commissioned plants will provide investors, policymakers and buyers with a clearer view of India’s real progress.Certification and testing are becoming essential to building trust and credibility in the green hydrogen sector.Experts argue credibility hinges on four things: certified labs, independent checks, digital certification, and clear rules.In global markets, claims are not enough. Without trusted certification, Indian producers may struggle to earn buyers' confidence. The transition is expected to begin with industries that use the most energy and produce the highest emissions. Experts expect fertiliser manufacturers, oil refineries, steel producers, shipping firms and heavy mobility operators to emerge as the first major users of green hydrogen. They offer the greatest potential for emission reductions while also ensuring steady demand for producers. Experts stress that smaller technology firms should not be overlooked.Numerous start-ups are developing electrolysers, storage systems, sensors, monitoring tools and safety technologies to support India’s hydrogen sector. They argue that better access to funding, testing infrastructure, certification support and government-led pilot programmes would enable these companies to engage more effectively in the expanding market. Industry leaders also emphasize that sustained investment in renewable power, transmission infrastructure and hydrogen storage is essential for scaling production sustainably. They argue that certification should cover more than just renewable electricity - it should also track emissions intensity and additionality to confirm that new clean power is being added, not just existing sources. Smaller tech companies also need improved access to testing facilities, certification support, funding and pilot initiatives to integrate into the growing national green hydrogen sector. According to experts, greater collaboration between the public sector, research bodies and industry will drive down costs, accelerate tech development and create a more resilient supply chain. Current ProgressWhat Still Needs AttentionRenewable energy expansion Internationally accepted certificationGreen hydrogen pilot projects More commissioned commercial plantsCertification portal launchedAccredited testing laboratoriesGovernment policy supportStrong domestic demandGrowing investmentsFaster support for technology start-ups The National Green Hydrogen Mission offers India a key opportunity to enhance energy security and cut industrial emissions. But experts say the real challenge begins now! India’s green hydrogen ambitions will be measured by credible certification, clear emissions reporting, robust testing and rising demand - not just by targets. Sources: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), National Green Hydrogen Mission, Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Press Information Bureau (PIB), Down To Earth (Background), The Hindu BusinessLine (Background) ...Read more