Ground Report

India’s post-monsoon rainfall for 2023, which includes the months of October to December, saw the country receiving 110.7 mm of rainfall. This is 9% below the normal level, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The State of India’s Environment report 2024 highlights that India's total forest cover has increased by a little more than 0.5% between 2017 and 2021. However, the report also cautions that this seemingly positive development has some caveats.

As they have done annually since 2009, the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) has pinpointed the 15 most pressing conservation issues worldwide through their ‘Horizon Scan’ project.

India, which hosts one of the biggest populations of Asian elephants globally, has seen a tragic loss of 1,381 elephants from 2009 to 2023 due to unnatural reasons such as electrocution and poisoning.

Like previous years, the UN and other international institutions will set several commemorative dates in 2024, aiming to raise awareness among the population about environmental problems.

Like every year, 2023 brought a mix of scientific news. Some were positive, particularly in fields like medicine and space science.

Climate scientist Daniel Swain believes 2024 may be warmer than 2023 because El Niño may be more influential for longer and because of the long-term warming trend.

On December 18, Indian blogger Zahack Tanveer was arrested by Saudi Arabian security forces for actions considered harmful

Recent research suggests that human activities have led to the extinction of approximately 1,430 bird species, more than double the number previously estimated.

Scientists have discovered sunscreen residues in the North Pole, specifically within the glaciers of the Svalbard archipelago.