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Explore Environment & Ecology Current Affairs from 13 to 25 August 2026 covering climate change, wildlife conservation, biodiversity, grasslands, land restoration, pollution, renewable energy, monsoon developments, protected areas and major environmental initiatives in India and around the world. Useful for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railways, Defence, State PSC and other competitive exams.
India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) of India on 17 August 2026 at UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The guide documents the diversity, ecological importance and socio-economic value of India's grasslands, savannas, deserts and other open natural ecosystems. It is intended to strengthen their conservation, restoration and sustainable management.
Guide: Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems of India
Launched at: UNCCD COP17
Venue: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Date: 17 August 2026
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav emphasised that India's open natural ecosystems should not be treated simply as wastelands because they lack dense tree cover.
Grasslands, scrublands, deserts and ravines support unique biodiversity and provide livelihoods to pastoral and local communities. The government called for science-based conservation of these ecosystems alongside forests.
The government highlighted that healthy grasslands perform multiple ecological functions.
They support wildlife, sustain pastoral communities, store carbon, maintain soil health and contribute to climate resilience. The new guide therefore seeks to give open natural ecosystems greater recognition in India's conservation planning.
The 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
India participated actively in discussions relating to land degradation, desertification, drought resilience, ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management.
Conference: UNCCD COP17
Host city: Ulaanbaatar
Country: Mongolia
Convention: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
At UNCCD COP17, India reiterated its enhanced Bonn Challenge commitment to restore 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav stressed that restoration should not be assessed only by the number of hectares treated; it should also produce measurable ecological and socio-economic benefits.
Restoration target: 26 million hectares
Deadline: 2030
Framework: Bonn Challenge
India's Second Progress Report indicates that approximately 21.76 million hectares were brought under restoration between 2011 and 2020.
These restoration efforts generated approximately 1.22 billion person-days of employment, demonstrating the link between ecosystem restoration and rural livelihoods.
Area restored: 21.76 million hectares
Period: 2011–2020
Employment: Around 1.22 billion person-days
India emphasised that land restoration should be integrated with:
Sustainable land management
Biodiversity conservation
Climate action
Rural development
Livelihood generation.
This approach seeks to ensure that restoration improves ecological health while also benefiting communities dependent on natural resources.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with South Asian counterparts on the sidelines of UNCCD COP17 on 24 August 2026.
The discussions focused on strengthening regional cooperation in climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, wildlife protection and ecosystem restoration.
Bhupender Yadav met Bhutan's Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho.
Their discussions covered agroforestry, climate-resilient agriculture and transboundary cooperation for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration.
Countries: India and Bhutan
Key areas: Biodiversity, agroforestry and climate resilience
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed approximately ₹2.82 crore under India's Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism on 22 August.
The funds arose from the utilisation of India's biological resources and are intended to support biodiversity conservation and benefit-sharing activities.
Organisation: National Biodiversity Authority
Amount: ₹2.82 crore
Mechanism: Access and Benefit-Sharing
Out of the ₹2.82 crore, approximately ₹2.80 crore was released to 27 State Biodiversity Boards and three Union Territory Biodiversity Councils.
The funds can be used for activities such as:
People's Biodiversity Registers
In-situ conservation
Ex-situ conservation
Restoration of degraded ecosystems
Strengthening Biodiversity Heritage Sites
Capacity building of Biodiversity Management Committees.
Approximately ₹2.01 lakh was also being released to the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR), Karnataka, under the Access and Benefit-Sharing mechanism.
The development demonstrates how India's biodiversity framework seeks to ensure that benefits arising from biological resources contribute to conservation and relevant institutions and communities.
A peer-reviewed study published on 14 August 2026 identified priority conservation areas for the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) in India's Deccan landscape.
The Great Indian Bustard, scientifically known as Ardeotis nigriceps, is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Species: Great Indian Bustard
Scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps
IUCN status: Critically Endangered
Study published: 14 August 2026
Researchers analysed approximately 7,20,000 sq km of the Deccan landscape.
Only about 48,000 sq km, or 6.6%, was identified as suitable habitat for the Great Indian Bustard based on environmental and climatic variables.
Landscape studied: 7,20,000 sq km
Suitable habitat: 48,000 sq km
Share: 6.6%
Researchers identified 16 critical sites covering approximately 18,000 sq km as priority conservation areas for the Great Indian Bustard.
These areas consist largely of a mosaic of grasslands and agricultural fields.
Priority sites: 16
Combined area: Around 18,000 sq km
The study noted that the Great Indian Bustard was once distributed widely across India and southern Pakistan but is now confined to a few remaining areas.
Only around 100–150 individuals are estimated to remain in the wild, highlighting the urgency of habitat protection.
Researchers recommended maintaining the ecological integrity of remaining grassland patches and reviving suitable traditional farming systems.
Because potential GIB habitats often include both agricultural fields and natural grasslands, conservation requires landscape-level management rather than protection of isolated patches alone.
Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan addressed Indian Forest Service probationers at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Dehradun, on 19 August 2026.
He emphasised that development and conservation can go hand in hand and called for modern scientific forestry to complement India's traditional ecological knowledge.
The Vice-President stressed the importance of respecting the knowledge of communities that have lived alongside forest landscapes for generations.
He urged future forest officers to measure success not merely administratively but through forests restored, wildlife protected and community trust earned.
The Vice-President's address included Indian Forest Service probationers of the 2025–2027 batch as well as officers from the Royal Bhutan Forest Service undergoing training at IGNFA in Dehradun.
The programme demonstrates continuing India-Bhutan cooperation in forestry and environmental management.
A seven-day “Craft for Conservation: Empowering Communities through Handicrafts for Golden Langur Conservation” workshop concluded on 16 August 2026 at Bhawariyapara Village, Bamungaon, Bongaigaon, Assam.
The initiative sought to connect local livelihoods with conservation of the golden langur, an important primate species found in the region.
Species: Golden langur
State: Assam
Focus: Community-based conservation
The conservation initiative focused on empowering local women through handicraft-based livelihoods while strengthening community participation in golden langur conservation.
Such community-based programmes are important because wildlife conservation often depends on the cooperation of people living close to forests and wildlife habitats.
The Bombay High Court raised concerns over the safety of schoolchildren travelling through wildlife-prone areas associated with Chandoli National Park and the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.
Court material indicated that 228 students from eight villages travel to five schools while facing exposure to wildlife risks.
Protected landscape: Chandoli National Park/Sahyadri Tiger Reserve
State: Maharashtra
Students mentioned: 228
Villages: 8
The Chandoli case highlights a broader environmental challenge: protecting wildlife habitats while ensuring the safety and livelihoods of communities living around protected areas.
Effective conservation therefore requires not only species protection but also safe infrastructure, community participation and conflict-mitigation measures.
During the period, a Bay of Bengal depression and associated low-pressure systems maintained active monsoon conditions over parts of India.
Heavy rainfall affected or threatened parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, with localised flooding risks.
By 20–24 August, monsoon activity continued to produce heavy rainfall alerts across several parts of the country, including central India, northern India, eastern India and parts of the Northeast.
The rainfall pattern was uneven, with some regions experiencing intense rainfall while others continued to face rainfall deficits.
By 22 August, a low-pressure system over northeast Madhya Pradesh was helping sustain monsoon activity over central and eastern India.
However, rainfall distribution was becoming increasingly uneven, leaving some areas with heavy rainfall while other regions continued to experience deficits.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced at UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, that India restored approximately 21.76 million hectares of degraded land between 2011 and 2020.
The restoration activities generated approximately 1.22 billion person-days of employment, demonstrating that ecological restoration can contribute simultaneously to environmental protection and rural livelihoods.
Land restored: 21.76 million hectares
Period: 2011–2020
Employment generated: 1.22 billion person-days
India emphasised at UNCCD COP17 that land restoration is not a standalone environmental activity but an integral part of:
Sustainable land management
Biodiversity conservation
Climate action
Rural development
Livelihood generation.
The government stressed that restoration programmes should produce measurable ecological and socio-economic benefits.
India remains committed to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030 under its enhanced Bonn Challenge commitment.
With 21.76 million hectares reported under restoration for 2011–2020, India highlighted the scale of its ongoing land-restoration efforts at UNCCD COP17.
Target: 26 million hectares
Deadline: 2030
An ecological-restoration initiative in Assam's Khalingduar Reserve Forest attracted attention during the period for removing invasive alien plants from elephant habitats and converting the cleared biomass into biochar.
The project combines habitat restoration with productive utilisation of invasive vegetation rather than simply disposing of the removed biomass.
Location: Khalingduar Reserve Forest, Assam
Focus: Elephant habitat restoration
Method: Invasive plant removal and biochar production
Invasive plant species can spread rapidly and displace native grasses and other vegetation that wild herbivores depend upon.
Removing such vegetation from elephant habitats can improve access to native forage and help restore the ecological character of degraded forest areas. The Assam initiative therefore links invasive-species management with elephant conservation.
Instead of burning or discarding invasive plant biomass, the Assam project converts it into carbon-rich biochar.
Biochar can contribute to soil improvement and long-term carbon storage, making the approach relevant to both ecosystem restoration and climate mitigation.
The Supreme Court-constituted Central Empowered Committee (CEC) raised concerns regarding mining activities around Kaziranga National Park in Assam.
The issue involves protection of environmentally sensitive areas and wildlife corridors surrounding one of India's most important protected landscapes.
Protected area: Kaziranga National Park
State: Assam
Body: Central Empowered Committee
The Kaziranga landscape contains nine important animal corridors that facilitate movement between the national park and surrounding highlands.
These corridors are particularly important during floods, when animals move towards higher ground.
Mining and other intensive activities near these corridors can potentially disrupt wildlife movement and habitat connectivity.
The Kaziranga issue also brought renewed attention to Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) surrounding protected areas.
ESZs are intended to function as transitional or buffer areas around environmentally sensitive protected landscapes, where certain activities may be regulated to reduce ecological pressure.
Serious groundwater-pollution concerns emerged over hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] contamination in parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Affected areas include locations in Fatehpur, Kanpur Dehat and Akbarpur.
Hexavalent chromium is associated with industrial activities such as tanning, chrome plating and dye manufacturing and can pose serious environmental and health risks.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued directions concerning historical chromium-waste dumping in the affected areas.
Reports indicated that industrial waste had accumulated over several decades, creating a long-term soil and groundwater contamination problem.
Pollutant: Hexavalent chromium
Chemical notation: Cr(VI)
Major concern: Groundwater contamination
A 2025 government report cited in coverage of the issue found that 73% to 96% of tested blood samples from villagers in affected areas contained hexavalent chromium levels above safe limits.
The case demonstrates how improperly managed industrial waste can create environmental contamination lasting for decades.
Air-quality concerns were also highlighted in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
An analysis cited during the period indicated increases in important air pollutants, including PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).
City: Visakhapatnam
State: Andhra Pradesh
Major pollutants: PM2.5 and NO₂
A May 2026 analysis by Respirer Living Sciences cited in environmental coverage indicated that PM2.5 levels had increased by approximately 33%, while NO₂ increased by about 44% in Visakhapatnam.
PM2.5 consists of extremely fine airborne particles that can penetrate deep into the respiratory system.
Environmental and social issues connected with the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) again attracted attention during the period.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav directed officials to visit villages in Panna and Chhatarpur districts and hear grievances from project-affected families.
Project: Ken-Betwa Link Project
States involved: Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
Affected districts highlighted: Panna and Chhatarpur
The Ken-Betwa project is intended to transfer water from the Ken River basin to the Betwa River basin.
The project is associated with irrigation, drinking-water supply and water-management objectives but has also generated debate over displacement, forests, wildlife habitats and rehabilitation.
The August development centred on grievances related to compensation and rehabilitation.
Regenerative agriculture emerged as an important environmental and agricultural topic as concerns grow over declining soil health, water stress and climate variability.
Unlike farming approaches that seek merely to maintain current conditions, regenerative agriculture aims to actively rebuild soil health and ecological functions.
Major objectives of regenerative agriculture include:
Restoring soil fertility
Improving water retention
Increasing biodiversity
Strengthening natural agro-ecosystems
Reducing dependence on synthetic inputs
Improving resilience against climate stresses.
Regenerative and natural-farming approaches may use farm-derived biological formulations such as:
Beejamrut
Jeevamrut
GhanJeevamrut
Neemastra
Dashparni.
These approaches seek to improve soil microbial activity while reducing dependence on synthetic fertilisers and chemical pesticides.
Floating solar photovoltaic technology received significant attention during the period.
Unlike conventional solar farms, floating photovoltaic panels are installed on buoyant platforms over reservoirs, lakes and other suitable inland water bodies.
Floating solar can reduce pressure on scarce land while using existing water infrastructure for renewable-energy generation.
The Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) has an outlay of ₹5,070 crore and targets deployment of 5,000 MW of floating solar photovoltaic capacity across reservoirs and inland water bodies.
The programme covers the period from FY2026-27 to FY2030-31.
Scheme: PM Surya Sarovar Yojana
Outlay: ₹5,070 crore
Floating solar target: 5,000 MW
The scheme integrates floating solar projects with 10,000 MWh of battery energy-storage capacity.
A minimum of two hours of co-located storage is envisaged to improve the ability of renewable-energy projects to supply electricity during periods when solar generation falls.
Solar capacity: 5,000 MW
Battery storage: 10,000 MWh
One of the major advantages of floating solar technology is that it can generate renewable electricity without requiring large tracts of additional land.
It can also potentially reduce evaporation from reservoirs, although projects require careful ecological assessment because extensive panel coverage may alter aquatic conditions.
Large floating-solar projects may affect aquatic ecosystems through:
Reduced sunlight penetration
Changes in dissolved oxygen
Effects on fish habitats
Impacts on waterbirds
Changes in water temperature.
Projects must therefore balance renewable-energy generation with protection of aquatic biodiversity.
By 24 August 2026, India's southwest monsoon rainfall was running approximately 13% below normal for the season.
Meteorological concerns increased as El Niño conditions strengthened, raising the possibility that 2026 could become India's weakest monsoon in nearly two decades.
Seasonal rainfall deficit as of 24 August: Around 13%
Climate phenomenon: El Niño
Seasonal rainfall was projected to finish approximately 15% below the long-term average, which would make it the weakest monsoon since 2009 if that projection holds.
The deficit poses risks to agriculture because the southwest monsoon provides roughly 70% of India's annual rainfall.
The rainfall pattern during the 2026 monsoon was highly uneven.
June: approximately 35.4% rainfall deficit
July: approximately 1% surplus
August by 24 August: approximately 15% deficit.
This uneven distribution can be damaging even where total seasonal rainfall appears less severely deficient.
Reduced monsoon rainfall could affect important kharif crops, including:
Cotton
Soybean
Maize
Pulses.
Lower rainfall can also reduce soil moisture needed for the subsequent rabi season, affecting crops such as wheat and rapeseed.
El Niño refers to abnormal warming of surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Strong El Niño conditions are frequently associated with weaker monsoon rainfall over India, although the relationship varies from year to year.
The strengthening phenomenon was therefore being closely watched for its effects on rainfall, agriculture and water availability.
Despite the broader national rainfall deficit, Delhi-NCR experienced intense rainfall on 24 August, demonstrating the increasingly uneven nature of monsoon precipitation.
Heavy rain caused waterlogging and severe traffic disruption, while 15 incoming flights were diverted from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Delhi amid continued intense rainfall.
Gurugram authorities also issued a work-from-home advisory because of flooding, waterlogging and traffic disruption.
The IMD forecast widespread rainfall, thunderstorms and gusty winds across several parts of India from 24 to 30 August 2026.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall was expected in isolated locations across northwestern, central, eastern, northeastern and southern India.
The August developments demonstrated a key climate challenge for India: national rainfall deficits can coexist with severe localised rainfall and flooding.
The combination of a weak overall monsoon, El Niño influence and episodes of intense precipitation reinforces the importance of drought preparedness, flood management, climate-resilient agriculture and improved water management.
Quick Revision – Environment & Ecology Current Affairs 13–25 August 2026
UNCCD COP17: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
India's first Guide to Grasslands and Open Natural Ecosystems: Launched at UNCCD COP17
India's land-restoration target: 26 million hectares by 2030
Land restored during 2011–2020: 21.76 million hectares
Employment generated through restoration: 1.22 billion person-days
National Biodiversity Authority ABS disbursement: ₹2.82 crore
Major beneficiaries: 27 State Biodiversity Boards and 3 UT Biodiversity Councils
Great Indian Bustard scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps
GIB IUCN status: Critically Endangered
Estimated GIB wild population: Around 100–150
Suitable GIB habitat identified: Around 48,000 sq km
Priority GIB conservation sites: 16
Priority area: Around 18,000 sq km
Golden langur conservation initiative: Assam
Invasive-plant restoration initiative: Khalingduar Reserve Forest, Assam
Invasive biomass converted into: Biochar
Kaziranga National Park: Assam
Kaziranga animal corridors highlighted: 9
Toxic groundwater pollutant: Hexavalent chromium – Cr(VI)
Affected UP areas highlighted: Fatehpur, Kanpur Dehat and Akbarpur
Visakhapatnam pollutants highlighted: PM2.5 and NO₂
Ken-Betwa affected districts highlighted: Panna and Chhatarpur
Regenerative agriculture focus: Soil health, water retention and biodiversity
PM Surya Sarovar Yojana: Floating solar programme
PM-SSY outlay: ₹5,070 crore
Floating solar target: 5,000 MW
Battery-storage target: 10,000 MWh
2026 monsoon deficit as of 24 August: Around 13%
Projected seasonal deficit: Around 15%
Possible weakest monsoon since: 2009
Major climate influence: El Niño
India's annual rainfall supplied by southwest monsoon: About 70%
Delhi weather alert: Orange alert
Delhi incoming flights diverted during 24 August rain: 15
