Features

The study, published this month in Nature Communications, Earth and Environment, says East Asian efforts to reduce atmospheric aerosols was likely to have accelerated global surface warming since around 2010.

The situation is especially dire in urban centres like Peshawar, where air quality has plummeted due to traffic emissions, unregulated construction, and deforestation.

Kabul, Afghanistan’s sprawling capital, finds itself on the edge of an unprecedented crisis: according to a recent Mercy Corps report, the city’s underground water reserves could be entirely depleted by 2030.

Way back in 2007, the land at Kuberpur, functioned as a typical landfill site. Thousands of tons of solid waste collected daily by the municipal corporation were dumped here. Over the years, this dumpsite dutifully served the city, but gradually it became a centre of distress itself.

The Afghan carpet industry is a significant part of the country's economy and cultural heritage, providing livelihoods for millions and contributing significantly to exports.

Since the military coup in February 2021, nearly 6,800 civilians have been killed and over 22,000 remain arbitrarily detained, he said. Humanitarian needs have soared, with nearly 22 million people in need of assistance and more than 3.5 million displaced by conflict.

While some countries are expected to end malaria by 2030, major challenges remain to eliminate HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and neglected tropical diseases, the study found, with new HIV/AIDS cases increasing steadily in the past decade.

Bhutan stands at a crossroads between survival and sacrifice, tradition and transformation. Its model is not perfect—but it offers the world something rare: a vision of development that does not cost the Earth.