Mohini Barman

According to MapBiomas data, the area burned in Brazil's Amazon rainforest fell by 65% in July compared to the same period last year—a promising improvement in forest protection efforts. Conservationists across South Asia—especially in Nepal’s Terai, Bhutan’s subtropical zones, and Bangladesh’s Sundarbans—are taking note, hopeful this trend signals enhanced fire management and ecological resilience strategies applicable to their own forest landscapes.

On August 27, the U.S. implemented a punitive 25% tariff, adding to an existing 25% duty on imports from India—pushing total tariffs up to 50% on key products including clothing, gemstones, footwear, furniture, and chemicals. The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) is warning of steep cost burdens affecting around 55% of Indian exports worth $47–48 billion, advising the government to urgently support exporters.This move complicates trade dynamics, drawing interest from markets across South Asia, such as Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, as exporters reconsider supply chain strategies and tariff impacts.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is under scrutiny after announcing plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan, a key piece of climate legislation from 2015. Environmental groups have swiftly filed a lawsuit, arguing the rollback will increase carbon emissions and harm public health—especially in communities already vulnerable to air pollution. The court case brings attention to the mounting conflict between environmental safeguards and regulatory rollback, especially during global climate discussions. Environmental planners in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal say such developments might impact overseas climate finance flows and international negotiation dynamics.

A recent study conducted in California’s Sierra Nevada reveals that timber plantations—dense, single-species forests—are nearly 50% more likely to fuel megafires than traditional, mixed forests. The startling analysis has pushed Canadian authorities to re-evaluate plantation practices, especially in provincial logging zones. This could lead to ecosystem-based silviculture reforms and stricter oversight over forestry practices. South Asian countries with plantation economies—like Bangladesh and parts of India—stand to benefit from this research when considering forest resilience and fire risk in plantation planning.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unveiled a proposal to repeal the Endangerment Finding, a 2009 regulation that led to the introduction of strict greenhouse gas standards for vehicles and trucks. The move promises to reduce perceived “hidden taxes” of up to $1 trillion on businesses, according to EPA officials. The proposal is framed as a restoration of regulatory clarity for automakers and revives debates over balancing climate goals against economic competitiveness. South Asian environmental strategists—especially in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal—will watch closely, as impacts could ripple into global auto markets and emissions norms.

Facing mounting pressure over insulin affordability, the U.S. government has initiated a three-month emergency distribution of free insulin starter kits to low-income individuals—especially children and seniors—across 15 states. Approximately 120,000 kits will be delivered via pharmacies, clinics, and outreach programs. President Biden called it an “urgent public health fix” tied to stalled insulin price caps in Congress. Advocacy groups have cautiously welcomed the move, noting it offers vital short-term relief while long-term reforms are debated. Public health planners across South Asia—particularly in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India’s rural districts—want to replicate such emergency measures to aid insulin-dependent populations in regions where…