Why in news?

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released the ‘State of India’s Environment 2026’ report. Published annually since 1982, the report provides an overview of major environmental challenges in India, including floods, extreme weather events, wildlife behaviour changes, and air pollution.

It also examines global climate change trends and their impact on India. CSE experts warned that the global temperature rise may exceed the 1.5°C threshold, indicating that the world is nearing a critical climate tipping point.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Rising Extreme Weather Events in India
• Increasing Flood Risks in a Warming Climate
• Changing Behaviour of Tigers in India
• Air Pollution Monitoring in India: Gaps and Concerns

Rising Extreme Weather Events in India

• The report highlights that 2025 saw the highest frequency and impact of extreme weather events in India in the past four years.
• These events included heatwaves, cold waves, heavy rainfall, and floods.
• Data from January 1 to November 30, 2025 shows that extreme weather events occurred on 99% of the days.
• These events resulted in 4,419 deaths and affected 17.41 million hectares of crop area.
• Comparison with Previous Years
  • The frequency and impact of extreme weather events have increased steadily:
    • 2024: Events on 88% of days, causing 3,393 deaths and damaging 3.61 million hectares of crops.
    • 2023: Events on 89% of days, causing 3,208 deaths and affecting 2.09 million hectares of crops.
• States Most Affected
  • Some states experienced a particularly high number of extreme weather days:
    • Himachal Pradesh: 267 days
    • Kerala: 173 days
    • Madhya Pradesh: 162 days
• Need for Climate Action
  • The report warns that these trends indicate growing ecological stress and climate risks.
  • It stresses the need for strong climate action, better planning, and resilient development strategies to prevent such disasters from becoming the norm.

Increasing Flood Risks in a Warming Climate

• The report states that climate change is increasing the likelihood of widespread and intense floods in India.
• A warming climate is already influencing river systems, urban infrastructure, and human settlements.
• It stresses that India should shift its approach from post-disaster relief to pre-disaster resilience.
• Integrating climate science into planning and infrastructure design, such as culverts and land use near rivers, is essential for reducing flood risks.
• Role of Nature-Based Solutions
  • The report highlights the importance of nature-based solutions to manage floods, including:
    • Restoration of wetlands
    • Reconnecting rivers with floodplains
    • Groundwater recharge and rainwater harvesting
    • Restoration and construction of lakes
  • These measures can improve natural water management and climate resilience.

Changing Behaviour of Tigers in India

• The report highlights an increase in tiger attacks on humans.
• Between January and June 2025, at least 43 people were killed near tiger reserves, with some cases involving tigers consuming parts of their victims.
  • In the same period in 2024, 44 people were killed in tiger attacks.
• Reasons Behind Tiger Attacks - Tigers rarely become habitual man-eaters. However, attacks on humans may increase when tigers grow old, suffer injuries, or face a decline in natural prey, making it difficult for them to hunt in the wild.
• Human–Tiger Proximity - Experts suggest that the growing interaction between humans and tiger habitats is a major factor behind the rising attacks. Increasing human settlements near forests are bringing people closer to tiger territories.
• Habitat Pressure and Population Growth
  • The tiger population in India is increasing, while many reserves have reached saturation levels.
  • Around 40% of tiger territory in 20 states overlaps with areas inhabited by nearly 60 million people.
  • As a result, tigers are moving outside protected areas, and factors such as habitat loss, overcrowding, and human activities near forests are contributing to behavioural changes in tigers.

Air Pollution Monitoring in India: Gaps and Concerns

• According to the report, only about 15% of India’s population (around 200 million people) live within 10 km of a continuous air quality monitoring station.
• The remaining 85% of the population—over 1.2 billion people—live outside the measurable monitoring range.
• Concentration of Monitoring in Major Cities
  • Air quality monitoring is largely concentrated in major cities, state capitals, and metropolitan regions.
  • As a result, many districts, industrial belts, and rapidly growing peri-urban areas remain outside the monitoring network, creating an incomplete picture of air pollution.
• Environmental Governance and Inequality
  • The report highlights that the lack of monitoring is not merely a data gap but reflects structural inequality in environmental governance.
  • Many smaller towns with significant pollution from industries and transport lack real-time air quality data, leaving large regions without proper pollution assessment.