South Asia








Fossil Fuels

Environment

Environment

Australia sends drone experts to Nepal to help in search for 36 missing citizens

On Friday, Australian disaster response experts left for Nepal to "join" the search for survivors following the Himalayan floods. The government had expressed "serious concern" about the welfare of the 36'missing' citizens. After a collapsed glacier triggered floods on the 26th of August, more than 1,200 people have been confirmed dead and?some 5,00 remain missing. According to the Nepalese government, 583 foreigners are missing. Authorities said that a 15-member Australian Disaster Assistance Response Team consisting primarily of drone pilots in state emergency services was sent to Nepal after the government requested it. "We still hold out hope that some people...

Environment

Officials estimate Nepal flood losses at $2.56 Billion

KATHMANDU, September 4 - Property, housing, and infrastructure valued at?at least?387.5 billion Nepalese Rupees ($2.56 'billion) were lost during 'Nepal's' 'catastrophic flooding' last week, according to the head of the disaster authority. Dharma Raj Upreti said that the cost of restoring power, providing drinking water, and building temporary shelters in the first four months would be approximately $52.6 million. These are estimated amounts. "We have calculated these?in coordination?with different?concerned?agencies and departments," Upreti stated, adding that a more detailed assessment will be made soon. Upreti, a senior official at the Nepali government, said that Nepal would need to rebuild 20,000 homes...

Environment

China reopens highway to Tibet's disaster zone

China has fully reopened a road leading to the Gyirong Border?crossing?into Nepal, one week after sections?were washed out by catastrophic flooding. Heavy machinery can now reach the main disaster area for the first. China airdropped equipment and supplies for frontline rescuers who had trekked through mountains to reach the site. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that a large number of heavy machines, as well as equipment to strengthen search operations, have now arrived in the area where an inspection complex for the Chinese border once stood. CCTV showed footage of rescue crews and excavators and said that they had deployed...

Environment

UN official warns that the Himalayas are at risk of severe glacial flooding in the years to come

A senior U.N. official has warned that the Himalayan region is at risk of future 'glacial floods'. This comes as the death toll in Nepal's 'last' week's' flood, which was triggered by an iceberg's collapse, exceeded 1,000. Hydroelectric power is not the only thing at risk. Riverbanks, where millions of people live, could become uninhabitable. Kanni Wignaraja is an assistant secretary general at the U.N. She told?prenezzeugsprach?sprachhnen in an interview, "Technology cannot keep up to date with the U. or the U.N. In an interview, Kanni Wignaraja, assistant secretary-general at the U.N. said: "Technology cannot move fast enough to prevent...

Environment

Chinese rescue efforts in Tibet flood-damaged zone still going strong days after

Rescue teams from China worked through the night and the relentless rain to repair the last kilometre of the only road that leads to the Gyirong Border crossing into Nepal. The road was destroyed by a catastrophic slide last week. The reopening of the China-Nepal Border crossing was a struggle with the elements. Rescuers were working in a narrow mountain canyon squeezed between crumbling mountains and a raging stream. State broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday that the rapids have repeatedly swept away efforts to rebuild a road over the last few days. CCTV footage shows excavators standing on shattered road...

Environment

Nepal, hit by devastating floods and renewed calls for Chinese data on early warnings

Experts and officials from Nepal and China met in Kathmandu three months before the wall of water, rock and mud that hurled down a Himalayan valley bordering Nepal and China killed hundreds. The agenda for the meeting, which took place in the capital of Nepal on May 27, included 10 Nepalese officials and 12 Chinese officials, including those from the Tibet region, where the disaster occurred. They discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries to monitor and respond effectively to hazards such as floods, bad weather, and glacier-related hazards. Participants called for joint measures to reduce risk, such...

Environment

Nepal, hit by devastating floods and renewed calls for Chinese data on early warnings

Experts and officials from Nepal and China met in Kathmandu three months before a wall made of water, rock and mud hurled down the Himalayan valley that borders Nepal and China and killed hundreds. The agenda for the meeting, held in the capital of Nepal on May 27, included 10 Nepali officials and 12 Chinese officials, including those from the Tibet region, where the disaster occurred. They discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries to monitor and respond effectively to hazards such as floods, bad weather, and glacier-related hazards. Participants called for joint measures to reduce risk, such...

Pollution

Nepal requested early warnings from China before the flood disaster.

Experts and officials from Nepal and China met in Kathmandu three months before the wall of mud, water and rock that 'hurt down' a Himalayan Valley bordering Nepal and China killed hundreds. The agenda for the meeting, held in the capital of Nepal on May 27, included 10 Nepali officials and 12 Chinese officials, including those from the Tibet region, where the disaster occurred. They discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries to monitor and respond effectively to hazards such as floods, bad weather, and glacier-related hazards. Participants called for "joint measures to reduce risk, including inventories and...

Pollution

Nepal requested early warnings from China before the flood disaster.

Experts and officials from Nepal and China met in Kathmandu three months before the wall of mud, water and rock that hurled down a Himalayan Valley bordering Nepal and China killed hundreds. The agenda for the meeting, held in the capital of Nepal on May 27, included 10 Nepalese officials and 12 Chinese officials, including those from the Tibet region, where the disaster occurred. They discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries to monitor and respond effectively to hazards such as floods, bad weather, and glacier-related hazards. Participants called for joint measures to reduce risk, such as inventories...

Environment

China warns that a lake formed near the Nepal border by glacier debris is starting to overflow

Chinese authorities announced on Friday that a lake created by debris from the glacier collapse which caused catastrophic flooding along the China-Nepal boundary has started to 'overflow. This forced rescue operations to stop. China and Nepal?both warned of new?risks for flooding in the Himalayas on Thursday, as a 'debris dam' created a lake that was threatening to collide. China has been rushing to reduce the threat of further flooding at the border crossing connecting its Tibet region with Nepal after a deadly flash flood occurred on Wednesday. The state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday that the risks of the lake...

Environment

China rushes in to minimize risk of mountain barrier lake near Nepal border

China is racing to reduce a risk of a barrier-lake bursting that could cause more flooding along the border crossing between its Tibet region and Nepal. This could exacerbate the catastrophe which has claimed hundreds of lives since Wednesday. Both Nepal and China warned of new risks of flooding as a newly formed lake across their borders threatens to collapse. The region is still dealing with the catastrophic floods of this week. According to CCTV, the Chinese authorities mobilized an eight-member team of engineers to conduct aerial surveys as well as 3D modelling for the barrier?lake. Chen Hanxiao, one of...

Environment

The deadliest glacier catastrophes in the world

Authorities fear that more people will be killed by a flash flood caused by a glacial collapse in the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and adjacent Tibet. At least 270 people have been killed, but authorities are concerned about further casualties. These are the most deadly glacial disasters of?history. 1941 -- HUARAZ (PERU) In the northern Andes, a glacial 'lake outburst' flood inundated one-third of Huaraz. It killed an estimated 5,000. This remains one of the most deadly glacier-lake outbursts in history. 1962 -- RANRAHIRCA (PERU) Mount Huascaran in Peru is the tallest mountain. A massive block of ice separated...

Mining

Mining

GRT Jewellers, India's largest jeweller, to buy a stake in TBZ for up to $109 Million

Abinaya V. and Praveen Parmasivam BENGALURU - India’s Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri announced a deal on Monday for GRT Jewellers to take a majority stake in the jewellery retailer. The price was set at a maximum of 10.34 billion rupees (108.66 million dollars). GRT Jewellers, subject to regulatory approvals, will purchase a 74.12% share from the 162-year old brand's top shareholders. This acquisition will trigger an open offer of 26% more under India's takeover laws. The stake is worth approximately 15.11 billion?rupees based on TBZ?s?market cap of 20.38 billion rupees. India's jewellers are reducing their expansion plans in response to record...

Mining

Gold prices steady ahead of Fed chair Warsh's Jackson Hole address

Investors held off on placing large bets in anticipation of the speech by Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh at the Jackson Hole Symposium, hoping to get clues about the central bank's future policy. By 1302 GMT, spot gold was down by 0.02% to $4,600.07 an ounce. The price of gold had reached a record high of $4696.18 in the past three months, after the U.S. Treasury announced support measures for long-duration bonds. U.S. Gold Futures for December Delivery fell by 0.3% to $4642.90. Fawad Rasaqzada is a Forex.com market analyst. He said that traders were 'not willing' to take large...

Mining

Gold drops ahead of Fed chair Warsh's Jackson Hole remarks

Gold prices fell on Friday as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's remarks later that day at the Jackson Hole symposium to gauge the direction of the central bank's money policy. By 1203 GMT, spot gold had fallen 0.1% to $4,594.61 an ounce. The price of gold reached a three-month-high of $4,696.18 after the U.S. Treasury announced support measures for bonds with long-term maturities. U.S. Gold Futures fell?0.4% to $4,647.20. Kyle Rodda is a senior financial market analyst at Capital.com. He said, "I believe price action has been fairly constructive in recent months, and we are not seeing much...

Mineral Resources

Climate Change

Climate Change

The chances of finding survivors are fading a week following the devastating Nepal flood

Authorities said that the chances of finding survivors among the thousands who are still missing in Nepal have dwindled. This is a week after flash floods in the Himalayas caused the destruction in the mountainous nation. Nearly 4,000 people are still unaccounted for. Officials fear that many of them may be buried beneath the debris from the floods which ravaged towns and valleys close to the Chinese border. China's official death toll in Tibet has remained at 16 since Sunday, with 546 still missing. Phanindra paudel, a senior government official from the National Emergency Operation Center(NEOC), stated that "the hope...

Climate Change

Nepal-Tibet death count 750 due to Himalayan floods, 3,000 missing

Authorities said that the death toll from the catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet last week reached 750 people on Sunday, with another 3,044 still missing. Rescuers were forced to move to higher ground when rains swollen river levels. Rescue operations have been suspended a few times since Friday because of the bad weather. There are also concerns that a mudslide caused by Wednesday's collapsed glacier could cause fresh flooding in Nepal after a lake formed across a border between Nepal and China. According to Red Cross, more than 90 000 people may have been affected by this disaster. China...

Climate Change

China identifies 261 missing foreigners in Himalayan mudslide

China said on Sunday that 261 foreigners from 23 different countries were missing on the Tibetan border with Nepal after a mudslide which ripped through the Himalayan area. The death toll for Tibet is now 16 people. At a press briefing, officials from China's Tibet Autonomous Region stated that the largest number of foreigners missing was from Nepal, with 104. Also unaccounted for were 49 Indians, 33 Latvians, 18 Americans and 15 British nationals. Beijing authorities have informed foreign missions, they said. This was the first nationality breakdown from the Chinese since Wednesday's collapse of a ice sheet?released a torrent...

Climate Change

The risk of a lake bursting near the China-Nepal border disaster area is decreasing

Chinese authorities reported on Saturday that the threat of a large lake forming after a 'glacier collapse' near the border between China and Nepal, where a deadly flood occurred earlier this week, has diminished. Satellite images taken from Thursday morning to Saturday morning show that the water flowing through the lake, which straddles the China-Nepal boundary at the confluence two rivers, has been decreasing the reservoir slowly, according to state broadcaster CCTV, citing the Water Resources Ministry. Satellite images of the lake surface at Purepu Tsangpo River showed that it was around the size 14 football fields combined on Saturday...

Climate Change

Foreign Minister says Nepal needs assistance in technical areas and not in search and rescue.

Nepal is in need of foreign assistance in areas such as search and rescue and specialised technical fields, which are not its expertise, following the devastating flood that struck its Himalayan border area with China last week. The collapse of a glacier on Wednesday released a torrent of rocks, ice, debris and mud into the Himalayan river systems. Nearly 600 people were killed in Nepal, China, Tibet, while more than 2,000 are still missing. Shisir khanal stated that Kathmandu needed foreign assistance in areas like rescuing people trapped in tunnels, opening communication and transport services where bridges were destroyed, identifying?dead...

Climate Change

Author of new study calls the myth that Robusta coffee is climate resilient a "myth".

In an interview, the lead author of the study called the widespread belief that Robusta coffee was more resistant to climate change than other varieties an "internet myth" that was based on flawed studies that ignored the crop's vulnerability and its inability to tolerate drought. Robusta coffee is often viewed as a cheap filler when compared to arabica beans. However, each year, millions of bags are shipped worldwide, with the majority coming from Brazil and Vietnam. The findings published in the Wiley journal Sustainable Development late Thursday are a challenge to those who advocate robusta as an alternative way of...

Climate Change

Official: Nepal monitors two lakes; flood risk will remain until the lakes are fully drained.

An official with Nepal's Disaster?Management Authority confirmed that Nepal monitors two lakes a few miles upstream from the flood zone, where hundreds of people died on Wednesday. The official said that flood risks would continue until both lakes are completely drained. One of the lakes started overflowing Friday. Satellite images showed two lakes near the site of a glacier slide that pushed debris, rock, ice and mud into rivers on Wednesday. This caused flood waves which destroyed houses and destroyed bridges. A Chinese rescue team captured aerial footage of the formation of 'one of the two Lakes on Thursday. On...

Climate Change

Red Cross: Over 90 000 affected by Himalayan Landslide

The 'Red Cross' said that more than 90,000 people are directly affected by the Himalayan land slide and urgently need humanitarian assistance. Officials from the aid sector expressed their fears about further flooding. David Fisher, the head of the delegation of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for Nepal, said at a Geneva press briefing: "We think that 93,000 people are affected, and they're in a lot of need." He added, "We are of course concerned about the second flood." Fisher stated that the organisation's trucks containing relief supplies had been?blocked by a lake? formed by the...

Climate Change

Nepal and China warn about fresh flood dangers with lakes that are bursting.

Both Nepal and China?warned Thursday of new risks of flooding in Himalayas as two lakes have formed on either side of the border, which threaten to?burst into a region that is still coping with this week's devastating?flood. Nearly 1,000 people are still missing, and search and rescue operations continue in the debris-strewn hillsides and valleys. The flood that struck Nepal's border region with China's Tibet on Wednesday killed at least 362. Both countries blame the flood on glacier collapses that sent rock, ice and debris into mountain river systems. Nepal's disaster agency issued a warning on Thursday that a lake...

Climate Change

Nepal and China warn about fresh flood dangers with lakes that are bursting.

Both Nepal and China warned of new 'risks of floods in the Himalayas on Thursday, as two lakes that have formed on either side their border are threatening to 'burst. This is a region still coping with last week’s devastating?flood. Nearly 1,000 people are still missing, and search and rescue operations continue in the debris-strewn hillsides and valleys. The flood that struck Nepal's border region with China's Tibet on Wednesday killed at least 362. Both countries blame the flood on the collapse of a glacier that sent rock, ice and debris into mountain river systems. Nepal's disaster authority issued a...

Climate Change

After devastating flash floods, global aid is heading to Nepal

Nepal has begun receiving 'cash','relief supplies and other aid from countries and organizations around the world as it responds to a flash flood which killed over 160 people and left many more missing. Here is the list of all aid and assistance that has been announced, as well as delivered: China has coordinated emergency supplies as well as?cash aid to Nepal. China's ambassador to Nepal stated this in a post on the social media website X. EUROPEAN UNION : European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X that the EU was ready to "mobilise additional European assistance". India's...

Climate Change

Nepal's flash floods wash away villages and project sites near Tibet's border

Authorities warned of heavy casualties as they urged people living along river banks to move higher ground. Government officials have said that the areas of Syapru Besi, Timure, and the mountainous district Rasuwa are severely affected. They also called for residents to be extra vigilant along the Bhote-Koshi River. District administrator Narendra Pariyar said that he had received reports of villages and infrastructure projects being washed out, but that a number of deaths or damage to property were not immediately known. He said, "There could have been a lot of casualties or property loss." "But I can't say for certain?now."...