State of India Environment Report 2026

State of India Environment Report Latest News

• The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released the ‘State of India’s Environment 2026’ report. 
• Published annually since 1982, the report provides an overview of major environmental challenges in India, including floods, extreme weather events, wildlife behaviour changes, and air pollution.
• It also examines global climate change trends and their impact on India. CSE experts warned that the global temperature rise may exceed the 1.5°C threshold, indicating that the world is nearing a critical climate tipping point.

Rising Extreme Weather Events in India

• The report highlights that 2025 saw the highest frequency and impact of extreme weather events in India in the past four years. 
• These events included heatwaves, cold waves, heavy rainfall, and floods.
• Data from January 1 to November 30, 2025 shows that extreme weather events occurred on 99% of the days. 
• These events resulted in 4,419 deaths and affected 17.41 million hectares of crop area.

Comparison with Previous Years

• The frequency and impact of extreme weather events have increased steadily:
  • 2024: Events on 88% of days, causing 3,393 deaths and damaging 3.61 million hectares of crops.
  • 2023: Events on 89% of days, causing 3,208 deaths and affecting 2.09 million hectares of crops.

States Most Affected

• Some states experienced a particularly high number of extreme weather days:
  • Himachal Pradesh: 267 days
  • Kerala: 173 days
  • Madhya Pradesh: 162 days

Need for Climate Action

• The report warns that these trends indicate growing ecological stress and climate risks. 
• It stresses the need for strong climate action, better planning, and resilient development strategies to prevent such disasters from becoming the norm.

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Increasing Flood Risks in a Warming Climate

• The report states that climate change is increasing the likelihood of widespread and intense floods in India. 
• A warming climate is already influencing river systems, urban infrastructure, and human settlements.
• It stresses that India should shift its approach from post-disaster relief to pre-disaster resilience. 
• Integrating climate science into planning and infrastructure design, such as culverts and land use near rivers, is essential for reducing flood risks.

Role of Nature-Based Solutions

• The report highlights the importance of nature-based solutions to manage floods, including:
  • Restoration of wetlands
  • Reconnecting rivers with floodplains
  • Groundwater recharge and rainwater harvesting
  • Restoration and construction of lakes
• These measures can improve natural water management and climate resilience.

Changing Behaviour of Tigers in India

• The report highlights an increase in tiger attacks on humans. 
• Between January and June 2025, at least 43 people were killed near tiger reserves, with some cases involving tigers consuming parts of their victims. 
  • In the same period in 2024, 44 people were killed in tiger attacks.
• Reasons Behind Tiger Attacks – Tigers rarely become habitual man-eaters. However, attacks on humans may increase when tigers grow old, suffer injuries, or face a decline in natural prey, making it difficult for them to hunt in the wild.
• Human–Tiger Proximity – Experts suggest that the growing interaction between humans and tiger habitats is a major factor behind the rising attacks. Increasing human settlements near forests are bringing people closer to tiger territories.

Habitat Pressure and Population Growth

• The tiger population in India is increasing, while many reserves have reached saturation levels. 
• Around 40% of tiger territory in 20 states overlaps with areas inhabited by nearly 60 million people.
• As a result, tigers are moving outside protected areas, and factors such as habitat loss, overcrowding, and human activities near forests are contributing to behavioural changes in tigers.

Air Pollution Monitoring in India: Gaps and Concerns

• According to the report, only about 15% of India’s population (around 200 million people) live within 10 km of a continuous air quality monitoring station. 
• The remaining 85% of the population—over 1.2 billion people—live outside the measurable monitoring range.

Concentration of Monitoring in Major Cities

• Air quality monitoring is largely concentrated in major cities, state capitals, and metropolitan regions. 
• As a result, many districts, industrial belts, and rapidly growing peri-urban areas remain outside the monitoring network, creating an incomplete picture of air pollution.

Environmental Governance and Inequality

• The report highlights that the lack of monitoring is not merely a data gap but reflects structural inequality in environmental governance. 
• Many smaller towns with significant pollution from industries and transport lack real-time air quality data, leaving large regions without proper pollution assessment.

Source: TH