The latest State of India Environment Report 2026 from the Centre for Science and Environment spells out just how serious things are: more extreme weather, bigger flood risks, more clashes between people and wildlife, and major gaps in how the environment gets managed. This report has been coming out every year since 1982, and it’s always been a solid snapshot of what’s happening on the ground. This year, though, the warning feels sharper: the world’s creeping closer to that 1.5°C global warming mark, a point where the damage could spiral out of control and become impossible to undo.

Why Are Extreme Weather Events Increasing Across India?

• Record frequency of extreme weather: The frequency of extreme weather was recorded on 99% of days in 2025, showing that disruptions in the climate have now become a way of life in India.
• Rising human casualties: The number of deaths due to extreme weather conditions has risen to 4,419 in 2025, from 3,393 in 2024 and 3,208 in 2023.
• Massive agricultural losses: The crop area damaged due to extreme weather conditions was 17.41 million hectares in 2025, from 3.61 million hectares in 2024 and 2.09 million hectares in 2023.
• States with the highest climate exposure: Himachal Pradesh recorded 267 extreme weather days, Kerala 173, and Madhya Pradesh 162.

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How Is Climate Change Increasing Flood Risks?

• Changing rainfall patterns: As our planet gets warmer, the atmosphere becomes more humid, thus creating a hydrological cycle that includes bursts of very heavy rain over short periods of time and results in more flash flood events in cities as well as river basins.
• Urban infrastructure vulnerability: Many urban drainage systems, culverts, and riverbank projects were built before our current climate patterns were established and now do not adequately handle rainfall events.
• Need for climate-resilient planning: Experts recommend integrating climate into all aspects of urban planning, including land use and infrastructure, to reduce the potential for disasters caused by future climatic events.
• Natural solutions to flooding: Restoration of wetlands, reconnecting rivers with floodplains, and encouraging the collection of rainwater or revitalising lakes will help to absorb excess stormwater and reduce the intensity of flooding in urban areas.

By 2050, climate models predict that extreme rain will increase by 10-20% in South Asia.

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What Do Wildlife Conflicts and Pollution Gaps Reveal About Environmental Governance?

The State of India Environment Report 2026 has also pointed out that there is an increase in ecological stress as reflected in changing wildlife behavior. Human settlements along forest areas are increasing, leading to conflicts with wildlife, and at least 43 people were killed by tigers in the January and June period of 2025, similar to the 44 fatalities in the same period of 2024.

There is still a lot to be addressed in the area of air pollution, and it has been estimated that only 15% of the Indian population, or 200 million people, live within 10 km of continuous air quality monitoring stations, which implies that over 1.2 billion people do not benefit from being within the range of monitored stations.

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