Disaster Management

This was the first major disaster to strike since the Trump administration suspended US foreign aid to Afghanistan in January. While Washington released statements of sympathy, it has made no formal pledge of direct financial assistance to quake relief.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta told reporters she was confident the state was “fully geared to fight pollution,” referencing the Centre’s approval of the cloud seeding plan.

Dhaka is warming faster than the rest of the country, and the consequences for public health, productivity, and well-being are growing.

But beyond the immediate destruction, most prominently over Dehradun on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, new reports and expert commentary point to deeper systemic failures – in climate monitoring, disaster preparedness, and infrastructure planning – that are making the Himalayan state increasingly vulnerable.

Fletcher’s statement amid what he described as “a massive military offensive” by Israeli forces against Palestinians in Gaza City, and the failure of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas militants.

In 2024, India experienced extreme weather on 322 days, leading to over 3 400 deaths. The first 90 days of 2025 alone saw 87 days of intense weather events – including floods and heat waves – underscoring an alarming upward trend in disasters.

In a significant diplomatic shift prompted by mounting climate risk, Nepal and China have agreed to begin sharing critical cross-border intelligence on glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) that threaten lives and livelihoods in the fragile Himalayan region.

In one part of the world, floods inundate entire cities. In another, droughts silently wither crops. Glaciers, which took centuries to form, are disappearing in decades. Groundwater, hidden and unseen, is being depleted faster than it can be replenished.