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New Delhi — Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have emphasized the crucial role of India’s G20 presidency in accelerating global cooperation to combat climate change. The joint statement on climate change released by India and the UAE recognizes the urgent need for collective action and adherence to the principles and obligations outlined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.

During their meeting, Prime Minister Modi congratulated the UAE on being selected as the host country for COP28 in 2023 and extended India’s full support to the UAE’s incoming presidency. President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in turn, commended India for its leadership role in the G20.

Both leaders stressed the significance of India’s G20 presidency in fostering cooperation to combat climate change, particularly focusing on finance and technology as critical enablers. They also highlighted the importance of just, inclusive, and sustainable energy transitions. The joint statement further affirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation on climate ambition, decarbonization, and clean energy, with the aim of achieving tangible and meaningful outcomes at the 28th Session of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP28).

Urgent action was called upon by both leaders to preserve the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement, including the fulfillment of nationally determined contributions and the display of solidarity and support. While upholding the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities, the leaders emphasized the imperative of achieving ambitious, balanced, and implementation-oriented outcomes at COP28 across all important pillars of global climate action.

The joint statement underscored the importance of the global stocktake (GST) and its successful conclusion at COP28. The leaders called for a balanced approach to the GST and urged nations to use its outcomes to strengthen their national commitments, including those related to finance and support for developing nations. International cooperation in supporting developing countries to effectively respond to the adverse impacts of climate change was highlighted as a necessity.

Concrete progress in fortifying adaptation capacities, the development of the global goal of adaptation (GGA), and addressing issues of loss and damage were emphasized. The leaders urged parties to operationalize the loss and damage fund and funding arrangements of COP28. Investments in renewable energy, green hydrogen, energy efficiency, and other low-carbon solutions were recognized as potential drivers for sustainable economic growth and job creation.

Supporting and deploying all technologies to effectively address and reduce emissions while ensuring a just transition that enables comprehensive sustainable development were emphasized. The international community was called upon to redouble efforts in ensuring the availability, accessibility, and affordability of critical technologies for developing countries.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of a just energy transition, focusing on energy security and accessibility, economic prosperity, and greenhouse gas emissions mitigation in a just and equitable manner. Universal access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for all was recognized as a vital component of low-carbon development. The urgent need for developed countries to fulfill the USD100 billion delivery plan and double climate finance for adaptation to developing countries by 2025 was reiterated.

The leaders also stressed the role of international financial institutions and multilateral development banks in reforming financial mechanisms, unlocking concessional finance, managing risk, and attracting additional private capital to support climate change initiatives in developing countries. Sustainable and environmentally friendly behaviors on a mass scale were acknowledged as significant contributors to global climate action.

The joint statement lauded India’s Mission LiFE initiative, which promotes sustainable lifestyles and environmentally friendly choices. Both leaders expressed hope that the COP28 agenda would further raise awareness among individuals to make the right choices for the environment.

India and the UAE expressed their determination to ensure a successful outcome at COP28, promoting inclusive and action-oriented dialogue to advance the goals of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. They recognized the pivotal significance of COP28 in fostering international cooperation, sharing experiences and knowledge, and forging innovative and effective solutions to address the challenges of climate change.

London— India is making a bid to become the fourth country to achieve a controlled landing on the moon with its Chandrayaan-3 mission. The spacecraft, named after the Sanskrit term for “moon vehicle,” was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota in southern Andhra Pradesh state. The launch took place just after 2:30 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET). Crowds gathered at the space center to witness this historic event, and more than 1 million people tuned in to watch the launch on YouTube.

Shortly after the launch, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) confirmed on Twitter that Chandrayaan-3 had entered a “precise orbit” and had begun its journey to the moon. The organization further stated that the health of the spacecraft was normal. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his pride, stating that Chandrayaan-3 marked a new chapter in India’s space exploration. He commended the dedication of the scientists involved and praised their spirit and ingenuity.

Chandrayaan-3 is expected to land on the moon on August 23, marking India’s second attempt at a soft landing. The previous attempt with the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019 was unsuccessful. In 2008, India’s first lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1, successfully orbited the moon before deliberately crash-landing on its surface.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission, developed by ISRO, comprises a lander, propulsion module, and rover. Its objective is to safely land on the lunar surface, collect data, and conduct scientific experiments to gain a deeper understanding of the moon’s composition. Achieving a successful soft landing would make India only the fourth country, after the United States, Russia, and China, to accomplish this challenging feat.

Indian engineers have been working on the mission for years, aiming to land Chandrayaan-3 near the demanding terrain of the moon’s unexplored South Pole. India’s previous lunar missions, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2, made significant contributions to lunar exploration. Chandrayaan-1 discovered water molecules on the moon’s surface, while Chandrayaan-2 successfully entered lunar orbit but experienced a rover crash-landing.

Prime Minister Modi expressed his belief that the launch day would be etched in golden letters in India’s space sector. India has allocated approximately $75 million to the Chandrayaan-3 mission, reflecting the country’s commitment to its space program and ambitions. Modi stated that the spacecraft would cover over 300,000 kilometers (186,411 miles) to reach the moon in the coming weeks.

India’s space program has a rich history spanning over six decades, from its humble beginnings as a newly independent and impoverished nation. Over time, India has emerged as the world’s most populous nation and fifth-largest economy. Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, the country has made significant strides in its space ambitions, symbolizing its rise on the global stage.

In 2014, India became the first Asian nation to reach Mars with the Mangalyaan probe, achieving this milestone at a fraction of the cost incurred by Hollywood in producing the movie “Gravity.” The country also holds the record for launching 104 satellites in a single mission. In 2019, India conducted an anti-satellite test, joining the elite group of countries that have achieved this feat.

India’s space sector has become a thriving industry attracting substantial investment, and global leaders, including US President Joe Biden, have expressed interest in collaborating with India in the space economy. ISRO has further proposed sending an orbiter to Venus, demonstrating India’s ambitious plans beyond the moon and Mars.

With the launch of Chandrayaan-3, India is poised to make another significant leap in its space exploration journey, aiming to contribute valuable scientific knowledge about the moon and solidify its position among the world’s spacefaring nations.

New Delhi, July 11: Schools in New Delhi were closed on Monday after heavy monsoon rains battered the Indian capital and caused landslides and flash floods in the country’s north, killing at least 15 people over the last three days.

The torrential rain over the weekend left parts of New Delhi overflowing with water that submerged roads and stranded residents. The northern hill states were the worst affected, with 10 people killed in flash floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand states, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

One person died in New Delhi and four were killed in the Indian-controlled section of Kashmir.

Landslides triggered by the rains disrupted traffic on key highways in Uttarakhand, a tourist hill state in the Himalayas, prompting warnings for residents not to venture out of their homes unless necessary. Authorities used helicopters to rescue people while bridges and houses were swept away in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.

India’s weather agency has forecast more heavy rains in the north in the coming days. It said monsoon rains across the country have already brought about 2% more rainfall than normal.

India regularly witnesses severe floods during the monsoon season, which runs between June and September and brings most of South Asia’s annual rainfall. The rains are crucial for rain-fed crops planted during the season but often cause extensive damage.

Scientists say monsoons are becoming more erratic due to climate change and global warming, leading to frequent landslides and flash floods in India’s Himalayan north.

In neighbouring Pakistan, which has also been pelted by monsoon rains, authorities were on alert for the season’s first flooding after India diverted waters from dams into the Ravi River, which flows from India into Pakistan.

Evacuations were underway from the lowlands in eastern Punjab province, according to Pakistan’s disaster management agency. More than 500 people were moved from the villages of Narowal, Sialkot, and elsewhere, officials said.

At least 80 people have died and 182 were injured in Pakistan in weather-related incidents since June 25 as heavy rains impacted tens of thousands of people in this Islamic nation.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday praised rescuers for evacuating those stranded in Punjab.

Pakistan said New Delhi had informed Islamabad about the release of water into the Ravi, as it is required to do under the 1960 Indus Water Treaty brokered by the World Bank.

Cash-strapped Pakistan is still struggling to recover from last summer’s flooding that killed 1,739 people and caused $30 billion in damage. (AP)