Global warming

The Earth is becoming warmer. The average temperature has risen by more than 0.5°C in the past century and is predicted to rise by 2°C by 2050—although this figure is far from...

Halting global warming

Global warming has become an urgent issue. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned of serious consequences for the planet if global average temperature...

Environmental issues

People have made many changes to the world they live in—and some of these have had harmful consequences. As the world population increases, there is need for bigger cities, new...

Drought

Drought is the absence of water for a long period of time in a region where it is not considered to be normal compared to usual conditions. When an area with an arid or semi-arid...

Wildfires

Wildfires (also called bushfires or forest fires), break out, often naturally, in grassland, scrubland, woodland and forests and can destroy everything in their path before dying...

Flooding

Flooding occurs whenever an area that is usually dry land becomes submerged under water. Some floods happen suddenly and recede quickly. Others take days or even months to build...

Pollution

Pollution is the release of something into the natural environment—the air, the soil, rivers, lakes, the oceans—that causes harm. It can take the form of a substance (solid...

Plastic pollution

Marine life is facing "irreparable damage" from the estimated 10 million tonnes of plastic waste that ends up in the oceans each year, the United Nations has warned. In total...

Coral bleaching

If the ocean waters around corals become too warm, the corals expel the algae that live inside them. Since the algae are responsible for their brilliant colours, the corals turn...

Soil erosion

Soil erosion is the wearing away of topsoil by the natural forces of water and wind, or through farming activities. It has become one of the most serious environmental problems...

Data centres

A data centre is a large building used to house computer systems and information technology (IT) equipment. It contains a network of servers, storage systems and networking...

Africa's Great Green Wall

The Great Green Wall is a project to halt desertification in the Sahel region of Africa. Launched in 2007 by the African Union, the Wall will eventually consist of a continuous...

Bee numbers in sharp decline

In May 2015, beekeepers in the US reported that 42% of honeybee colonies died off in a single year. The states of Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania...

Landmine contamination

There are 78 countries in the world that are "contaminated" with landmines—explosive devices buried in the ground during wartime. Up to 20,000 people are killed every year, while...

Environmental issues A-Z