Climate change

The report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) highlights the critical issues surrounding the initiative launched in 2014 by the Modi government. Poor planning, shortcomings in implementation and a lack of monitoring are among the main causes of the failure. The strategy centred on ‘green cover’ appears to be insufficient.

The mountain pass swept away by the flood of water and debris was a symbol of China’s ambitions for the ‘Nepalese corridor’. But it was also the hub of a region where Beijing is providing aid to local mountain communities to strengthen its control over Tibet.

The Church and Caritas are coming to the aid of victims and those missing. The latest death toll stands at over 330. For Fr Bogati, this is ‘the worst’ flood ever recorded. The government has declared a state of natural disaster for the next three months. The Pope’s telegram of condolence and prayer for the dead and their families.

Hundreds of worshippers were undertaking their sacred pilgrimage in the affected area. The peak (and lake) are regarded as sacred by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Bon practitioners as a place of purification. This millennia-old tradition was resumed in 2025 following interruptions caused by wars and the Covid pandemic.

The most severe natural catastrophe in recent years has hit the border area. Foreign tourists and pilgrims headed to Kailash Mansarovar, a pilgrimage destination for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, are also among those affected. Even official Beijing media speak of "severe loss of human life". An earthquake is thought to have triggered the landslide.

The taiga is burning beyond the Urals, the rivers in Tyumen and the Moscow region are full of dead fish, and there are oil spills in the Russian part of the Black Sea. Meanwhile, a large-scale investigation has identified 1,497 people accused of treason and espionage in Russia for actions linked to environmental protection.

In his message for the Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which the Church celebrates on 1 September, the Pope highlights the deep link between armed conflict and environmental degradation. “War is a moral and spiritual failure in terms of respecting life and the earth entrusted to us.”

The UN-sponsored Conference of the Parties, attended by 196 countries, has got underway in Ulaanbaatar. Soil degradation and drought currently affect 40 per cent of the world’s land area and cost at least 300 billion dollars annually. Mongolia (and its pastoral sector) is one of the hardest-hit regions.

The Sea Legend Shipping Company will inaugurate the first regular container service via the Northern Sea Route. South Korea is following with a trial voyage. The thawing Arctic and the difficulties affecting traditional routes are making the arctic more attractive. But ice, costs, sanctions, and security are limiting commercial ambitions (for now).

With permafrost thaw reaching 70 cm in 2023, up to 80 per cent of buildings in the Arctic began to deform. The agricultural sector could benefit though, turning polar regions into a new breadbasket. Beyond the slogans, unresolved issues remain: flooding, soil degradation, and unpredictable changes.

Torrential rains and floods in China are now a regular feature every summer. Described by the authorities as "exceptional”, these weather events are due to structural problems, such as uncontrolled urbanisation, obsolete infrastructure, aging dams, and increasingly less transparent management of emergency situations.

Heavy monsoon rains have submerged hundreds of villages in the worst natural disaster in recent years. The local diocese is mobilising to help everyone, without distinction, in the emergency and reconstruction efforts. For Bishop Hemron, “let us be instruments of God’s compassion”.