In a new Yale-led study, researchers developed an analytical model to identify areas along a 1,330-kilometer-long (826 miles) and 20-kilometer-wide corridor of the river basin that are most vulnerable to pollution. They found that urban areas on the river have the highest vulnerability. The model, a novel method for visualizing pollution vulnerability, can help policymakers and landscape designers prioritize conservation and pollution-control efforts and target interventions, such as infrastructure upgrades or conservation zoning, to sites on the river where they will have the greatest effect, the researchers said. “Good data is vital to protecting and rejuvenating the Ganges River Basin,” said Anthony Acciavatti, the Diana Balmori Associate Professor at the Yale School of Architecture and the study’s lead author. “It’s not enough to identify the sources of pollution; we need data on where to target interventions and on what kinds of interventions are needed. Our model can guide these kinds of decisions.” The study was published in the journal PLOS Water. Acciavatti and his coauthors are members of the Ganges Lab of Collaborative Earth, a nonprofit organization that brings together scientists, engineers, and other experts to develop practical solutions to environmental problems that improve the well-being of local communities. The...

This article is Part 1 of a two-part series. On 12 December 2026, the 1996 Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty between India and Bangladesh completes its thirty-year term. In reality, the Treaty’s operational phase is already over, as the last scheduled quantum of Ganges water flowed from the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal, India, to Bangladesh on 31 May 2026. This is because the flow modalities from the Farakka Barrage in India to the Hardinge Bridge in Bangladesh apply during the dry season, defined as the period between 1 January and 31 May every year. The Treaty’s expiry raises a few key questions: will we see a mere renewal of the existing agreement or a renegotiation? Or will we see greater politicisation of water, given the current geopolitical relationship between the two riparian nations? The BNP’s historical criticism of the Farakka arrangements and its emphasis on guaranteed dry-season flows could make the negotiations politically sensitive. Broader bilateral tensions over Sheikh Hasina’s presence in India, border management, and security could further complicate an agreement that should primarily be governed by hydrological and ecological considerations. Bangladesh’s growing engagement with China adds another strategic dimension. The political transition in Bangladesh following Sheikh Hasina’s removal in...

Nach fast drei Jahrzehnten meldet ICAR zwei Hilsa-Fische mit zusammen 740 Gramm aus dem oberen Ganges bei Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh. ICAR wertet den Fund als ermutigenden Hinweis auf eine allmähliche Wiederansiedlung der Wanderfischart, die dort jah

These are the 20 rivers in the Ganges basin with the most hydropower plants built or under construction, visualized from 1965 to 2026.

YouTube video by GANGES

Ganges-Yamuna groundwater decline since the 1970s has left water tables 2 m below pre-canal levels and made the Hindon lose water to the aquifer, a model finds.

NEW DELHI: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report recognized India's Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica) species recovery program. It highlights that this recovery effort has led to ecosystem restoration and the creation of jobs. In its report titled "Nature’s Comeback – Scaling Ecosystem Restoration for People and Planet," UNEP included the dolphin recovery program as one of 35 UN World Restoration Flagships, showcasing large-scale restoration efforts. India has also launched its Comprehensive Action Plan for 2022–2047, developed to guide long-term dolphin conservation. This broader national initiative supports the recovery of river dolphins, including the Ganges river dolphin. In addition to dolphins, the report mentions other species recoveries, including the return of mountain gorillas in East Africa, jaguars and golden-headed lion tamarins in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, snow leopards in Kyrgyzstan, and Saiga antelope and wild horses in Kazakhstan’s Altyn Dala. The report is published midway through the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030). It provides the first-ever comprehensive global assessment of progress against commitments to restore around one billion hectares and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework target to ensure that by 2030, at least 30 per cent of degraded terrestrial, freshwater, marine, and coastal ecosystems are under effective restoration. The...