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‘The Yamuna is dead; it has just not been officially cremated’. ICSE 2026 asks India to make sustainability education a public practice

The children on stage at India Habitat Centre opened the eighth International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE) with a song. Behind them sat educators, environmentalists, policy leaders and development practitioners; before them was the central question of the two-day gathering: can education prepare a generation not merely to understand the climate crisis, but to alter the systems that are producing it? The opening session of ICSE 2026, convened by the Mobius Foundation under the theme “Sustainability Education for Transformative Action,” made clear that the answer cannot lie in another chapter in a textbook or another campaign of awareness alone. The discussion placed education at the intersection of public transport, water, waste, livelihoods, public health, civic participation and the everyday choices that shape India’s development pathway. The most arresting intervention came from Sunita Narain, Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Describing the condition of Delhi’s river, she said: “The Yamuna is dead; it has just not been officially cremated.” The remark was deliberately unsettling, but it was grounded in a larger argument: ecological collapse is the result of systems designed as though rivers, mountains and communities can be endlessly engineered around. Narain linked the recent disaster in the Nepal–Tibet region to decades of an “engineering mindset” that treated fragile landscapes as objects to be remade at will. The lesson, she suggested, is not to reject engineering or technology, but to restore ecological limits, local knowledge and public purpose to development decisions. She argued that Delhi’s air will not be cleaned merely by replacing petrol cars with electric ones; the decisive shift is to build public transport good enough that people do not need to depend on private cars in the first place. That distinction between a technical fix and systemic change became the intellectual centre of the inauguration. It also gives sustainability education a much more demanding task. Learners must be equipped to ask: Who benefits? Who bears the risk? What is the ecological cost? And which institutions must change?

Nepal flood: Death toll hits 1,222, 4,875 missing

The disaster has meanwhile renewed scrutiny of development and environmental practices in the Himalayan region. Environmentalist Sunita Narain said the scale of the flooding was linked to decades of treating rivers and mountains as though they could be continually re-engineered, particularly through extensive hydropower development. The continuing recovery operation comes as authorities confront the destruction of transport links and the large number of people still missing, leaving the final human cost of the disaster uncertain.

सुनीता नारायण का बड़ा बयान- ‘यमुना मर चुकी है, बस अंतिम संस्कार बाकी है’, नेपाल त्रासदी पर भी चेताया

जलवा यु संकट अब भवि ष्य का खतरा नहीं , बल्कि हमा रे सा मने खड़ी हकी कत है. नेपा ल में आई वि ना शका री बा ढ़ से लेकर भा रत में बढ़ती गर्मी , अचा नक हो ने वा ली भा री बा रि श और दि ल्ली की जहरी ली हवा तक, पर्या वरण में हो रहे बदला वों का असर सा फ दि खा ई दे रहा है. ऐसेऐ सेसमय में सि र्फ लो गों को पर्या वरण के बा रे में जा गरूक करना का फी नहीं है, बल्कि शि क्षा को सी धे का र्रवा ई से जो ड़ना हो गा . सम्मेलमे न में सेंटसेंर फॉ र सा इंसइं एंड एनवा यरनमेंटमें (CSE) की महा नि देशक और पद्मश्री से सम्मा नि त सुनीता नारायण नेनेपाल की हालिया त्रासदी काजि क्र करते हुए कहा कि जलवा यु परि वर्तन से इनका र करना अब वा स्तवि कता से मुंह मो ड़ने जैसा है उन्हों ने हि मा लयी इला कों में लगा ता र हो रहे नि र्मा ण, सड़क और हा इड्रो पा वर परि यो जना ओं पर सवा ल उठा ए. उनका कहना था कि इंसाइं सान को यह भ्रम छो ड़ना हो गा कि वह नदि यों और पहा ड़ों को अपनी सुविसुविधा के हि सा ब से फि र से बना सकता है.

International Conference: नेपाल त्रासदी के संकेत को समझते हुए, प्रकृति के अनुकूल विकास मॉडल अपनाना होगा

नेपाल में आई प्राकृतिक आपदा के बाद हिमालयी क्षेत्र में विकास मॉडल और जलवायु परिवर्तन पर गंभीर सवाल उठ रहे हैं. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण ने चेताया है कि प्रकृति के संकेतों को अनसुना करना भारी पड़ सकता है. समय रहते पर्यावरण संरक्षण और संतुलित विकास को प्राथमिकता देना आवश्यक है. नेपाल में हाल में आयी प्राकृतिक आपदा के बाद हिमालयी क्षेत्र में विकास के मौजूदा मॉडल और जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण लगातार बढ़ रही प्राकृतिक आपदाओं पर सवाल उठ रहे हैं. समय के साथ हिमालयी क्षेत्र में अचानक बादल फटने, भूस्खलन और ग्लेशियर टूटने के कारण आने वाली बाढ़ के मामले अधिक हो रहे हैं. ऐसे में अब सभी को इस बाबत गंभीरता से विचार करना होगा कि इस आपदा से कैसे निपटा जाए. बुधवार को आयोजित 8वें इंटरनेशनल कांफ्रेंस ऑन सस्टेनेबिलिटी एजुकेशन को संबोधित करते हुए सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण ने कहा कि प्रकृति लगातार संकेत दे रही है कि पर्यावरण से छेड़छाड़ नहीं हो. लेकिन इसे सुनने को कोई तैयार नहीं है. नेपाल में आयी त्रासदी से यह समझ लेना चाहिए कि जलवायु परिवर्तन का खतरा कितना गंभीर हो गया है. ऐसे में पर्यावरण संरक्षण और प्रकृति से छेड़छाड़ तत्काल बंद होनी चाहिए. दुनिया के अधिकांश देश अत्यधिक गर्मी, बेमौसम बेहताशा बारिश, बाढ़ और अन्य प्राकृतिक आपदा का सामना कर रही है. प्रकृति लगातार संदेश दे रही है कि विकास के मौजूदा मॉडल पर विचार किया जाना चाहिए. अगर समय रहते प्रकृति के संदेश पर अमल नहीं किया गया तो आने वाले समय में नेपाल जैसी आपदा कई जगहों पर देखने को मिलेगी और इसका स्वरूप और भयावह हो सकता है. हिमालय में संतुलित विकास समय की मांग सुनीता नारायण ने कहा कि हिमालयी क्षेत्र में हो रहे विकास कार्य और जलविद्युत परियोजनाओं की उपयोगिता पर विचार करना होगा. हिमालयी क्षेत्र में विकास के अंधाधुंध निर्माण और नदियों के प्राकृतिक प्रवाह को रोकने का आने वाले समय में गंभीर खामियाजा भुगतना पड़ सकता है. हिमालय के क्षेत्र काफी संवेदनशील होते है और यहां विकास स्थानीय भौगोलिक स्थिति के अनुसार संतुलित होना चाहिए. विकास होना चाहिए लेकिन पर्यावरण की अनदेखी कर नहीं. भारत में जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण चरम मौसम की घटना सामान्य होती जा रही है. गर्मी ऐसी पड़ रही है कि लोगों का सड़क पर निकलना मुश्किल होता जा रहा है. कहीं बहुत अधिक बारिश, बाढ़ और अन्य प्राकृतिक आपदा के कारण लोगों का जीवन प्रभावित हो रहा है. इसी तरह शहरों में प्रदूषण लगातार बढ़ रहा है और यह बड़ी स्वास्थ्य समस्या बन रही है. प्रदूषण से निपटने के लिए सार्वजनिक परिवहन को बढ़ावा देना होगा और जीवन जीने के तरीके में बदलाव लाना होगा. प्रकृति के साथ तालमेल बनाकर चलना होगा और प्रकृति के अनुकूल विकास को बढ़ावा देने के तरीकों पर विचार करना होगा.

दिल्ली की यमुना पर गंभीर सवाल, सुनीता नारायण बोलीं- नदी की हालत बेहद खराब

राजधानी दिल्ली में यमुना नदी के कायाकल्प और सफाई के तमाम दावों के बीच सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण ने नदी की बदहाली पर गहरी चिंता जताई है। उन्होंने कहा कि यमुना की स्थिति इस कदर चिंताजनक हो चुकी है कि इसे 'मृत' घोषित करना ही तार्किक होगा। उन्होंने वैज्ञानिक आंकड़ों का हवाला देते हुए खुलासा किया कि दिल्ली की सीमा में प्रवेश करते समय यमुना जल में घुलनशील ऑक्सीजन (Dissolved Oxygen) का स्तर लगभग 6 रहता है, किंतु आईएसबीटी (ISBT) तक पहुँचते-पहुँचते यह घटकर शून्य हो जाता है। इसी आधार पर उन्होंने तीखी टिप्पणी करते हुए कहा कि 'यमुना मर चुकी है, बस उसका अंतिम संस्कार होना बाकी है।'

BPCL-CSE MoU For Developing Biofuels, CBG & Circular Economy Value Chains

To collaborate on biofuels, biomass resource utilisation, waste-to-resource solutions and circular economy initiatives, BPCL and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU will explore opportunities across the biofuels value chain, including Compressed Biogas (CBG), with a focus on feedstock assessment, supply chain development, biomass and waste resource management, by-product utilisation, technology assessment and pilot and demonstration projects. They will also work on market development, capacity building and knowledge sharing to support the development of scalable bioenergy solutions. The collaboration comes as India steps up efforts to promote cleaner energy sources and sustainable management of resources. As per the MoU, BPCL and CSE will explore the assessment and utilisation of biofuel by-products, including Fermented Organic Manure (FOM), digestate, Bio-CO₂ and Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS). The partnership will also examine sustainable value chains and potential carbon credit opportunities linked to bioenergy projects.

Global Leaders Call For Sustainability Education To Move From Awareness To Action At ICSE 2026 In New Delhi

Ms. Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Padma Shri Awardee, delivered one of the morning's sharpest interventions, linking the Nepal disaster directly to decades of what she called an engineering mindset that assumed rivers and mountains could be re engineered at will. She cited data from her own organisation's analysis of India Meteorological Department records showing an extreme weather event occurring in India roughly once a day, and said the Yamuna's dissolved oxygen level falls from six near Delhi's entry point to zero by the time it reaches ISBT, a reading she called scientific proof, not sentiment, that the river is dead. "The one thing that we do not need more of is more reports and more incremental steps to fix what is today an existential crisis," she said, arguing that Delhi's air will not be fixed by adding electric vehicles but by rebuilding public transport so people do not need to drive at all.

Global leaders call for sustainability education to move from awareness to action at ICSE 2026 in New Delhi

The 8th International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE) 2026 opened today at the India Habitat Centre, bringing together policymakers, educators, scientists, industry leaders and young people under the theme “Sustainability Education for Transformative Action.” The inaugural session was convened by the Mobius Foundation and came against the backdrop of the flash flood on the Nepal Tibet border, a tragedy several speakers returned to through the morning as evidence that the climate crisis is no longer a distant risk. Delivering the chairman’s address, Mr. Pradip Burman, Chairman, Mobius Foundation, said the gap between climate commitments and implementation remains too wide even as India posts real gains. “In 2025, India achieved 50 percent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources, five years ahead of the 2030 target. Our renewable energy capacity has now crossed 290 gigawatts. This is significant progress, but the journey is far from over,” he said, adding that ICSE has grown since its launch in 2019 from a youth engagement platform into a driver of climate literacy and green jobs through initiatives such as the Pani Pahar curriculum and the Mobius Young Climate Leaders Program across India’s northeast. “We want ideas that become partnerships, partnerships that become commitments and commitments that become action,” he said. Ms. Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Padma Shri Awardee, delivered one of the morning’s sharpest interventions, linking the Nepal disaster directly to decades of what she called an engineering mindset that assumed rivers and mountains could be re engineered at will. She cited data from her own organisation’s analysis of India Meteorological Department records showing an extreme weather event occurring in India roughly once a day, and said the Yamuna’s dissolved oxygen level falls from six near Delhi’s entry point to zero by the time it reaches ISBT, a reading she called scientific proof, not sentiment, that the river is dead. “The one thing that we do not need more of is more reports and more incremental steps to fix what is today an existential crisis,” she said, arguing that Delhi’s air will not be fixed by adding electric vehicles but by rebuilding public transport so people do not need to drive at all.

The Yamuna is dead, it just hasn’t been officially cremated,” says CSE’s Sunita Narain at ICSE 2026

Mr. Kartikeya Sarabhai, Founder Director, Center for Environment Education (CEE) and Padma Shri Awardee, placed the conference in a longer arc, noting it falls close to the 50th anniversary of the 1977 Tbilisi conference that first defined environmental education. He recalled that India pushed to link poverty and environment at Stockholm in 1972 and introduced the word “lifestyle” into the 2015 Paris Agreement after the United States had resisted the term at Rio in 1992. He pointed to eco clubs being rolled out under Mission LiFE, a target for every Indian school to have one by 2030, and a new NCF 2023 textbook making environmental education compulsory at the 10th standard for the first time. He also proposed that every school and institution adopt one square kilometre of land to implement roughly 30 of the SDGs directly, while noting that India’s entire environmental education spend still trails the advertising budget of a single soap brand.

नेपाल की तबाही सिर्फ चेतावनी नहीं! CSE डायरेक्टर सुनीता नारायण ने बताया, हिमालय में विकास के नाम पर कहां हो रही चूक

नेपाल में आई बाढ़ ने एक बार फिर पूरे हिमालयी क्षेत्र की संवेदनशीलता को सामने ला दिया है. बदलते मौसम और पहाड़ी इलाकों में तेजी से हो रहे निर्माण के बीच हिमालय को बचाने की चुनौती लगातार बढ़ रही है. दिल्ली के इंडिया हैबिटेट सेंटर (India Habitat Centre) में आयोजित इंटरनेशनल कॉन्फ्रेंस ऑफ सस्टेनेबिलिटी एजुकेशन (International Conference on Sustainability Education) के दौरान पद्म श्री से सम्मानित और सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (Centre for Science and Environment) की डायरेक्टर जनरल सुनीता नारायण ने हिमालय में विकास और पर्यावरण के बीच संतुलन को लेकर अहम बात कही. नेपाल की घटना को सिर्फ नेपाल तक सीमित न मानें सुनीता नारायण ने कहा कि नेपाल में हुई तबाही को सिर्फ नेपाल की समस्या नहीं माना जा सकता. हिमालयी क्षेत्र के अलग-अलग हिस्सों में ऐसी घटनाएं लगातार सामने आ रही हैं. उन्होंने चमोली और सिक्किम में हुई घटनाओं का उदाहरण देते हुए कहा कि हिमालय दुनिया के सबसे संवेदनशील क्षेत्रों में से एक है. उनके मुताबिक हिमालय दुनिया की सबसे युवा पर्वत श्रृंखलाओं में शामिल है. इसलिए यहां विकास करते समय इसकी संवेदनशीलता और भौगोलिक परिस्थितियों को ध्यान में रखना बेहद जरूरी है. समस्या सड़क या इमारत नहीं, विकास का तरीका है हिमालय के लिए सबसे बड़े खतरे को लेकर पूछे गए सवाल पर सुनीता नारायण ने कहा कि समस्या केवल सड़क, इमारत या प्रदूषण नहीं है. असली सवाल विकास के तरीके का है. उन्होंने कहा कि पहाड़ी इलाकों में सड़कें चाहिए, घर चाहिए, होटल और दूसरी सुविधाएं भी चाहिए. लेकिन यह देखना जरूरी है कि इनका निर्माण किस तरह किया जा रहा है. पहाड़ों की क्षमता और वहां के प्राकृतिक संतुलन को नजरअंदाज करके किया गया निर्माण भविष्य में बड़ी परेशानी खड़ी कर सकता है.

सुनीता नारायण का बड़ा बयान- ‘यमुना मर चुकी है, बस अंतिम संस्कार बाकी है’, नेपाल त्रासदी पर भी चेताया

जलवायु संकट अब भविष्य का खतरा नहीं, बल्कि हमारे सामने खड़ी हकीकत है. नेपाल में आई विनाशकारी बाढ़ से लेकर भारत में बढ़ती गर्मी, अचानक होने वाली भारी बा... https://www.aajtak.in/science/story/sunita-narain-yamuna-dead-nepal-flood-climate-crisis-dskc-2635258-2026-09-03

BPCL and CSE Sign MoU to Advance Biofuels, Biomass Utilisation and Circular Economy

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in biofuels, biomass resource utilisation, waste-to-resource solutions and circular economy initiatives. The partnership aims to combine the complementary expertise and capabilities of both organisations to develop and scale sustainable solutions supporting India’s transition towards cleaner energy and sustainable resource management. BPCL and CSE to Collaborate on Key Biofuel Segments Under the MoU, BPCL and CSE will collaborate across several key areas of the biofuel and sustainable energy ecosystem, including: Compressed Biogas (CBG) Bioethanol Biodiesel Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Biomass resource utilisation Waste-to-resource solutions Sustainable utilisation of biofuel by-products The collaboration will explore opportunities to improve the utilisation of biomass and waste resources while supporting the development of sustainable fuel solutions. Focus on Circular Economy and Resource Utilisation The partnership will focus on strengthening circular value chains by exploring sustainable ways to utilise biomass resources, waste streams and biofuel by-products. Key areas of focus include: Developing waste-to-resource solutions Promoting efficient biomass utilisation Exploring sustainable applications for biofuel by-products Supporting stronger circular value chains Identifying innovative and scalable solutions for cleaner energy BPCL and CSE Highlight Complementary Expertise Subhankar Sen, Director (Marketing), BPCL, and Dr. Sunita Narain, Director General, CSE, highlighted the importance of combining the complementary expertise and capabilities of the two organisations. The partnership aims to advance innovative and scalable solutions that can support India’s cleaner energy transition while promoting sustainable resource management. Partnership to Support India’s Clean Energy Transition The MoU comes as India continues to explore cleaner energy alternatives and sustainable approaches to resource utilisation. Through collaboration in biofuels, biomass and waste-to-resource solutions, BPCL and CSE aim to contribute to the development of sustainable energy models and strengthen circularity across the resource value chain. About BPCL Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is a Maharatna public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. The company operates across the oil and gas value chain, including refining, petroleum products marketing and energy-related businesses, while expanding its focus on cleaner and lower-carbon energy solutions.

BPCL, Centre for Science and Environment sign MoU to collaborate on biofuels, circular economy initiatives

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore collaboration in biofuels, biomass resource utilisation, waste-to-resource solutions and circular economy initiatives. Under the MoU, the two organisations will identify and explore opportunities across the biofuels value chain, including Compressed Biogas (CBG). The collaboration will cover areas such as assessment of feedstock and development of supply chains, biomass and waste resource management, utilisation of by-products, technology assessment, pilot and demonstration projects, market development, capacity building and knowledge sharing. The partnership comes as India accelerates its transition towards cleaner energy and sustainable resource management. BPCL said the collaboration aims to combine its growing biofuels portfolio with CSE's The two organisations will also explore opportunities to assess and utilise biofuel by-products, including Fermented Organic Manure (FOM), digestate, Bio-CO₂ and DDGS. The initiative will also look at developing sustainable value chains and potential carbon credit opportunities associated with bioenergy projects. Speaking on the occasion, Subhankar Sen, Director (Marketing), BPCL, said the partnership marked an important stage for the company as it looks to work more closely with other organisations to develop sustainable solutions. "This close collaboration with CSE represents a defining moment in our organization's life cycle. We are entering an era where organizationxal success is defined by collaboration and partnerships--combining our strengths to achieve what neither could do alone," Sen said. CSE's Director General said the organisation would bring its experience of working with municipalities and its understanding of the CBG ecosystem, while BPCL would contribute its industrial capabilities and execution strength. "I am highly confident that we will leverage our respective strengths. While CSE brings its deep expertise in working with municipalities and understanding the Compressed Biogas (CBG) ecosystem, BPCL brings the industrial capability and execution strength to scale these solutions," the Director General said. The MoU provides a broad framework for cooperation and knowledge exchange between BPCL and CSE. Specific projects and activities will be taken up through separate agreements, wherever mutually agreed, with such agreements defining the scope, responsibilities and mechanisms for implementation. The collaboration is expected to support the development of innovative and scalable bioenergy solutions by bringing together expertise in research, policy, waste management and industrial execution. (ANI)

BPCL, CSE sign MoU to advance biofuels and circular economy projects

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday to collaborate on biofuels, biomass utilisation, waste-to-resource solutions, and circular economy initiatives. The agreement covers the full biofuels value chain, including Compressed Biogas (CBG). Key areas of joint work include feedstock assessment, supply chain development, biomass and waste resource management, technology evaluation and pilot projects. The two organisations will also explore market development, capacity building, and knowledge sharing. The MoU additionally addresses the assessment and utilisation of biofuel by-products such as Fermented Organic Manure (FOM), digestate, Bio-CO₂, and Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS). The partnership will also look at potential carbon credit opportunities linked to bioenergy projects. BPCL Director (Marketing) Subhankar Sen said the collaboration marked a significant moment for the company, emphasising that combining the strengths of both organisations could achieve outcomes neither could deliver independently. CSE Director General said the partnership would draw on CSE’s expertise with municipalities and the CBG ecosystem alongside BPCL’s industrial and execution capabilities. Specific projects under the MoU will be governed by separate agreements defining scope, responsibilities, and implementation. BPCL, a Fortune Global 500 company and India’s second-largest oil marketing company, operates refineries in Mumbai, Kochi, and Bina with a combined capacity of around 35.3 million tonnes per annum. The company has set a target to achieve net-zero emissions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 by 2040. CSE is a New Delhi-based public interest research and advocacy organisation focused on environment and development issues.

From the India Today archives (2025) | Climate chaos: How can India build resilience?

Climate chaos, in fact, is turning into an ever-present nightmare in India. Extreme weather events such as excess rainfall, unseasonal cyclones, debilitating droughts and heat waves have increased in both regularity and intensity across the land. “Every season today is characterised by an extreme weather event,” remarks K.J. Ramesh, former director general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). This is evident in the numbers. From January to March this year, extreme weather battered India on 87 out of 90 days. The pattern was no accident: in 2024, the country suffered climate shocks on 322 out of 366 days, or 88 per cent of the year, according to the Centre for Science and Environment, which maintains a yearly tracker. This surpassed the 318 days in 2023 and 314 in 2022.