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Nearly 20 per cent of the country’s land area was inundated during Cyclone Ditwah, causing widespread devastation across all provinces.

as climate change advances, the arid and semi-arid zones of Afghanistan are seeing rangeland collapse, livestock losses, and weakened rural economies.

One of the most encouraging signs of ecological recovery is the resurgence of the dolphin population in the Ganga basin. According to surveys conducted between 2021 and 2023, the number of river-dolphins has risen to approximately 6,327 individuals – more than double the estimated baseline of 2,500–3,000 dolphins recorded in 2009.

The report makes clear that safeguarding journalists is not simply a media-industry concern; it is a democratic imperative. Free, independent political coverage is essential for voters to make informed decisions, and safety is the minimum guarantee required to enable that.

Experts point out that recovery fund and planned reconstruction must also prioritise restoring agricultural capacity, irrigation and roads – because Sri Lanka’s food security and export-based economy depend critically on them.

Many experts emphasise the need for conditional cash transfer programmes, improved rural schooling, transportation support for students, and vocational training initiatives to ensure that families are not forced to choose between survival and education.

The dual pressure – aggressive regulation of both ground-level dust and industrial emissions – makes clear: this winter, Delhi’s fight for breathable air will be fought on multiple fronts.

In the long run, the minister said, the push for transparency is aimed at closing the revenue–development gap: ensuring that domestic resources mobilised from taxes contribute directly to societal growth and welfare, fulfilling the deeper principle underlying economic governance.