On the eve of Human Rights Day, President Draupadi Murmu expressively spoke about the dignity and rights of nature. In Montreal, the 15^th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) tried to iron out a fair and just global biodiversity governance system. Meanwhile, in Dubai, during the inauguration of India Global Forum UAE 2022, External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar slammed developed countries that, despite occupying major carbon space, they are not helping poorer countries in addressing climate change.

Expectations from this chapter of the climate conference may not be substantive.  

India has launched a comprehensive but cautious extended neighbourhood foreign policy in Central Asia during India-Central Asia Summit on January 27, 2022.   

Swamps are a spooky, ugly, disenchanted place in children’s stories, books, animated serials and movies. These imaginations are relatively antithesis of the real value of swamps and others where land meets water. Wetlands, as commonly known, are abundant in life and livelihood. Therefore, the world celebrates every year on February 2 as World Wetlands Day to encourage global awareness about the vital role of wetlands in the ecosphere.

Development in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have both internal and external ramifications

Natural disasters such as cyclones, their frequency and pace, must be directly linked to climate change.

Environment has never been a popular subject for India’s major political parties during general elections. Even in the post-1972 UN Conference on Human and Environment period or post-1992 Earth Summit scenario when environment emerged as a strong international and national issue, seldom has environment found an appropriate space in party manifestos in India. At the outset, environment as an issue in the election campaign is still considered a matter of concern for upper strata of societies only.

The rising threat from unpredictable and excessive rainfall, exacerbated by climate change, has warranted a conceptual debate for robust policy formulation. The urgency has never been felt more than now as we witness devastating incidents like dam breach in Laos, the State Deluge in Kerala (India) and frequent marooning of cities, including ‘smart cities’ in India, during monsoon. It has now become a common scenario across megacities and towns when torrential rains play havoc with daily lives of people leading to deaths and destruction of properties.

In April 2018, after a long hiatus, the Neemrana Dialogue was resumed. It is the longest running Track-II initiative between India and Pakistan and the first engagement between the two sides under this initiative was held nearly three decades ago in 1991-92. At the military level, the first ever high-level contact group from Pakistan headed by Lieutenant General Aamir Riaz visited India, and the Indian military attaché in Islamabad and his team was invited to attend the Pakistan Day military parade.

The right to development of populace residing in disputed territories is being left unattended in international development discourse.