South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People

17/05/2026

-The Wednesdays.for.Water session, “Bihar’s Changing Riverscape: Floods, Droughts, and the Fate of Small Rivers,” discussed how Bihar’s rivers are being transformed by floods, droughts, embankments, climate change, and neglect of smaller rivers.

The Wednesdays.for.Water session on, ‘Bihar’s Changing Riverscape: Floods, Droughts, and the Fate of Small Rivers' is part of the Riverscape Series. The sess...

16/05/2026

Fresh protests over the past month by tribal communities affected by the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project have again raised serious concerns about its environmental impact and social costs. The project is going ahead despite questions over its hydrological assessment and environmental, forest and wildlife clearances. Moreover, the govt has not even explored the available cost effective and better alternatives.

The project will submerge large parts of the Panna Tiger Reserve and damage forests and wildlife habitats. Thousands of trees have already been cut. At the same time, villagers in Dodhan, Imalha and nearby areas continue to protest over compensation disputes, rehabilitation problems, alleged corruption and forced demolitions.

If the agitating local people, in light of a fast-changing climate, demand an ecological survey be redone with presentation from the community, it’s only a reasonable ask. The government need…

15/05/2026

-A study published in the Journal of Fish Biology identified a new freshwater fish species, Labeo kaage, from the Cauvery River basin in Karnataka. Named after the Kannada word for crow (“kaage”) due to its dark colour, the species belongs to the “dark labeo” group found in the Western Ghats. Researchers confirmed it as a distinct species through detailed morphological and genetic analysis. The study also highlights the rich but underexplored freshwater biodiversity of the Cauvery basin and warns that habitat destruction, dams, and pollution threaten many such species.

Request PDF | Labeo kaage sp. nov., a new species of cyprinid fish (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from the Cauvery River basin, India | A new species of Labeo, Labeo kaage, is described from the Cauvery River, India. This distinctive black‐coloured species closely resembles Labeo... | Find, read and cite...

15/05/2026

-A new study published in Nature finds that climate change-driven shifts toward fewer but heavier rainfall events are reducing water stored on land globally. The researchers show that when rain becomes more concentrated into intense downpours separated by longer dry spells, less water infiltrates soil and recharges groundwater. Instead, more water evaporates quickly from the surface. This “drying effect” is nearly as strong as the positive effect of increased total rainfall itself.

-Using satellite observations, climate datasets, and land-surface models, the study found that this pattern is already affecting major river basins including the Amazon, Ganges, Nile, Mississippi, and Yangtze. Intensively irrigated regions such as the Gangetic Plains may face even stronger impacts.

-The study projects that with around 2°C global warming, rainfall concentration alone could push 27% of the world’s population into abnormally dry conditions, even without changes in total rainfall.

15/05/2026

- The report examines the growing environmental, social, and economic pressures linked to rising global sand demand and identifies key gaps in governance, biodiversity integration, monitoring, and long-term planning. It presents 24 strategic actions for governments, industry, financial institutions, and civil society to better govern sand resources and their multiple values, prioritise long-term planning, transform financial systems, reduce unnecessary demand, strengthen circularity, improve transparency and monitoring, and fully integrate biodiversity considerations into decision-making. https://wedocs.unep.org/items/b037d0d7-b899-4969-9b9a-b5c36dd32abe

15/05/2026

-UNEP’s third Sand and Sustainability report calls on governments and industry to recognize sand’s essential value to development and nature, and to fully integrate biodiversity considerations in sand governance. A strategic approach is needed for this resource that underpins our built environment and economic development while sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The sand dilemma: we depend on ‘dead’ sand for infrastructure and ‘alive’ sand for natural services Sand demand for buildings is expected to rise by 45% by 2060 About half of dredging companies are operating within Marine Protected Areas, accounting for 15% of the volume dredged

15/05/2026

-In its order passed on May 14, the Court also directed Rajasthan Transport & Road Safety Department to explain how unregistered mining vehicles were operating in the region and whether any action has been taken against erring officials. The Court flagged concerns over unidentified tractors and vehicles allegedly operating freely in mining zones and sought details of preventive measures to stop illegal transport of mined materials.

-Pertinently, the Court also impleaded the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as a party to the case and asked it to file a detailed affidavit on protection of bridge structures near illegal mining zones and why CCTV surveillance cameras should not be installed for real-time monitoring of mining and transport activities.

The Supreme Court on Thursday came down heavily on the State of Rajasthan over illegal sand mining inside the National Chambal Sanctuary. The Court directed the

14/05/2026

-Researchers link the increasing impact of disasters in the HKH to the growing prevalence of multi-hazard events. Multi-hazards occur when more than one type of hazard, such as floods, landslides, or droughts, happen at the same time or when one hazard triggers another. Past examples in the region include the Kedarnath floods in Uttarakhand in 2013, and the South Lhonak glacial lake outburst flood in Sikkim in 2023, India, as well as the Melamchi flood in Nepal in 2021.

Kathmandu | 14 May 2026 – Four of the eight countries in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region experienced more than 10 major disasters in 2025, according to data from ICIMOD analysis, highlighting the region’s growing exposure to hazard-related risks. Asia accounted for a large share of disaster...

13/05/2026

-Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), who is one of India's top environmentalists, has now argued in a comprehensive interview that the project rests on flawed hydrology, has been cleared through a compromised regulatory process, will devastate one of India's most ecologically sensitive river corridors, and will ultimately harm the very communities it claims to serve.

Open Forum for News and Views

12/05/2026

-The High Court of Chhattisgarh took serious note of media reports alleging untreated effluent discharge by distilleries into the Shivnath River and Kharun River, causing river pollution, fish deaths, and environmental damage.

-The Court observed that despite earlier directions, authorities had failed to prevent recurring violations and said the rivers were being turned into carriers of toxic industrial waste. It criticised ineffective enforcement by the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board and noted apparent non-compliance by distilleries, including Bhatia Wine Merchants Pvt. Ltd., Kedia Distillery, and Welcome Distillery.

-The Court directed the Environment Conservation Board and Bhatia Wine Merchants to file personal affidavits on the allegations, impleaded Chhattisgarh Distilleries Limited as a respondent, and listed the matter for hearing on 14 May 2026. https://indiankanoon.org/doc/198325517/

12/05/2026

-CESHS Director Tage Tana said the expedition team observed “alarming geomorphological changes in the Khangri glacier” during ground studies, indicating the growing impact of climate variability in the high-altitude Himalayan region.

-Among the major observations was the development of a large glacier sinking zone where the glacier snout is rapidly collapsing, creating unstable terrain conditions. Scientists warned that such instability could increase landscape hazards and downstream vulnerability in the Mago Chu basin.

-The team also identified a newly formed proglacial lake at an altitude of around 16,500 feet. According to the scientists, the lake has the potential to trigger a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), which could impact downstream communities and river systems, including transboundary regions.

-Despite comparatively good snowfall during the winter season this year, researchers found that glacier melting continues at a critical pace due to rising temperatures and persistent climate variability across the eastern Himalayas, Tana said.

State News Khangri glacier showing rapid changes, flood threat detected: Study May 12, 2026 FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp ITANAGAR, 11 May: Scientists studying the Khangri glacier in Tawang district have observed rapid melting, formation of unstable terrain and the emergence of a potentially dang...