CURRENT AFFAIRS

India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) of India on 17 August 2026 during the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

A major oil-spill incident in the Persian Gulf is threatening the ecologically important Hara mangrove forests around Qeshm Island, Iran.

Recently, Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland calved a 76.4 km² ice island, marking its largest ice loss since 2012 and the largest Arctic calving event since 2020. The event was identified through satellite monitoring by an international team of researchers led in part by the University of Ottawa.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released ₹15.52 crore as Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) proceeds from M/s. Pioneer Overseas Corporation, which developed 10 commercial hybrid varieties of mustard (Brassica juncea) using India's biological resources.

A new study published in Nature Geoscience has found that the salty water emerging from Antarctica's Blood Falls contains marine-specific microorganisms, providing strong evidence that the subglacial brine originated from ancient seawater trapped beneath the glacier thousands of years ago.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma launched Mission Clouded Leopard, a flagship conservation programme dedicated to safeguarding the Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), the official State Animal of Meghalaya. 

Glaw Lake, located in Arunachal Pradesh, has been designated as India's 101st Ramsar Site under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The designation also marks Arunachal Pradesh's first Ramsar Site, highlighting the ecological significance of the lake and strengthening India's commitment to wetland conservation and biodiversity protection.

A new study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) found that human-induced climate change made the wildfire weather in central Spain about 20 times more likely and in south-west France about twice as likely during July 2026.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has constituted an Expert Committee on Invasive Alien Species (IAS) to tackle the increasing ecological, economic, and social threats posed by invasive species across India. 

According to a Save the Children analysis (2026), the United Kingdom recorded its highest child exposure to extreme heatwaves since 1995, with 10.7 million children (75% of the child population) affected during the first half of 2026. The report highlights the increasing impact of climate change and extreme weather events on children's health and well-being.