STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN INDIA, 2026 REPORT

NEWS: The ‘State of India’s Environment 2026’ report was released recently.

About

• Released by:The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)à consistently brought out annual reports since 1982.
• View ofà The environmental challenges the country faces, ranging from floods, extreme weather events, changes in tiger behaviour, to air pollution, among others.
• Global perspective of climate change and connects it to the Indian context.

Increasing of extreme weather events

• The year 2025 àhighest increase in frequency and impact of extreme weather events in India, including heatwaves, cold waves, and heavy rain, flood, in the last four years.
• 2025àExtreme weather events happenedà 99% of days in 2025, resulting 4,419 reported deaths and affecting at least 17. 41 million hectares of crop area.
• 2024àextreme weather events occurred on 88% of days, causing 3393 deaths and impacting 3.61 million ha of crop area.
• 2023àAbout 89% of days experienced such events, with 3208 deaths and 2.09 million ha of crop damage.
• Worst-hit states – Himachal Pradesh (267 days), followed by Kerala (173 days), and Madhya Pradesh (162 days).

Key policy recommendations to improve the environment

• India àshould move from post-disaster relief work to pre-disaster resilience.
• Climate change is not a distant possibilityà it is already shaping our rivers, our cities, and our lives.
• Future resilience will depend on how quickly we can integrate climate science into everyday planning
• Nature-based solutionsà emphasizes the need for nature-based solutions such as restoring wetlands, reconnecting rivers to their floodplains, groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting, and restoration and construction of lakes.
• Structural InequalityàThe absence of monitoring is not just a gap in information, but it is an example of structural inequality in India’s environmental governance