Climate change

In Sri Lanka, on the day UNESCO dedicated to these plants, essential to local ecosystems, saw planting in some of the wetlands of the Western Province. Environmentalist Dinusha Nanayakkara, who works to protect this environment, talks about it.

The police have cleared the protest camp set up by tribal communities who had been protesting for weeks against India’s first major river interconnection project. Whilst the government defends the project, which is intended to provide irrigation and energy to arid areas, environmentalists and local residents are denouncing forced evictions and environmental risks.

New temperature records have been set in many cities across Central Asia, in some cases exceeding 50 degrees. In this region, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change, roads have warped, power cuts linked to high consumption have occurred, and measures have been put in place to protect those working outdoors.

For Sri Lankan households, air conditioning uses average daily household electricity consumption. In a country hard hit by climate change, even fans are rarely used because of the high costs.

In Bangkok demonstrators complain about pollution caused by gold and rare earth mining in Shan State, in areas controlled by armed ethnic groups backed by Beijing, not Myanmar’s military junta. In Thailand people are debating the ineffectiveness of diplomatic outreach limited to Myanmar.

From 4 to 8 May, Sharks International 2026 took place, the world’s leading event in the sector for experts and enthusiasts. The event was attended by 800 people representing 82 countries, with over 800 papers presented. Sri Lanka is a crucial hotspot of high biodiversity in the Indian Ocean, yet heavily exploited for shark and ray fishing.

FABC, CELAM, and SECAM, the three continental episcopal conferences, released a paper that is also a shared commitment, calling on world governments to adopt a non-proliferation fossil fuel treaty. For Caritas International, the role of women is crucial in addressing climate change.

A delicate ecosystem covering only 6% of the Earth's surface, but home to up to 40% of animal and plant species. Their presence is also essential as natural barriers against flooding. Urbanisation and mega-infrastructure risk causing irreversible damage. 2 February is World Wetlands Day, coinciding with the adoption of the Ramsar Convention.

The cyclone reshaped large swathes of the upcountry. The devastation is so great that remapping is necessary. More than half of all landslides occurred in the districts of Badulla, Kandy, and Matale. Experts need high-quality close-up images, with essential assistance from international organisations and agencies.

Civil society groups and activists are echoing a call from various segments of Sri Lankan society to renegotiate the agreement with the International Monetary Fund in light of the damage caused by climate change. The focus is on the Extended Fund Facility programme whose austerity measures are a further obstacle to economic revival. The demand is to put people first in restructuring the economy. Meanwhile, the number of people killed and affected by the cyclone continues to rise.

The floods meet all the criteria to be considered a catastrophe: millions of people affected, significant damage to property and infrastructure, and insufficient local capacity. But the central government is suspending its decision. The declaration is not just a formality, but responds to pre-established criteria. The provincial government of Aceh is evaluating a request for aid from the UN.

AsiaNews met with residents of Kartarpur, in the district of Narowal, devastated by floods in recent months. For days, people found refuge on the roof of the church, one of the few buildings to have survived the fury of the waters. Thanks to international support and donations collected by a parish in Hong Kong, food, clothing and medicines arrived.