
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the India Net Zero Portal and the National Action Plan on Climate Change Dashboard on 16 September 2026 in Mumbai. Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh launched the two digital platforms on World Ozone Day 2026.
The Odisha Forest Department rescued five young orangutans from the Ranakotha Protected Reserved Forest in the Bhograi block of Balasore district on 8 September 2026. The rescued primates included three males and two females, and officials transferred them to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar for quarantine and care.
Buellia maharajensis, a new saxicolous lichen species, was discovered in Mathikettan Shola National Park in Idukki district, Kerala. The species was recorded at an elevation of about 1,351 metres and was named in tribute to Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, on its 150th anniversary.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change organised Swachh Vayu Diwas 2026 in New Delhi on 7 September 2026 and conferred the 5th Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards. The event marked the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies and recognised cities and wards under the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan framework.
The 16th National Meet of State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils was held in Chandigarh on 6–7 September 2026. The two-day meeting was organised by the National Biodiversity Authority to discuss biodiversity governance, local implementation, and conservation-related institutional mechanisms in India.
The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) launched the third phase of underwater archaeological exploration off Poompuhar, also known as Kaveripoompattinam, in Mayiladuthurai district on 6 September 2026. The project is being carried out with the Indian Maritime University and covers an underwater zone linked to the ancient Sangam-era port city.
Indonesia’s 2026 peat fires have intensified across Kalimantan and Sumatra amid El Niño conditions, severe drought, and widespread degradation of peatland areas. Peat fires burn below the surface in carbon-rich wetland soils and can continue for long periods under dry weather conditions.
Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait erupted on 6 September 2026 at 3:53 a.m. local time. Volcanic ash from the eruption led to flight suspensions at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, and several regional airports in Indonesia.
The Mindoro bleeding-heart pigeon (Gallicolumba platenae) is a critically endangered ground-dwelling pigeon endemic to the Philippine island of Mindoro. A remote camera trap photographed the species in the Puerto Galera rainforest in August 2026, and the first confirmed photographic record in 20 years was announced on 3 September 2026.
The fifth edition of Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar (SSSS v.5.0) was launched on 1 September 2026 for marine litter removal and coastal conservation in India. The week-long campaign is scheduled from 12 September to 19 September 2026 and will conclude on International Coastal Cleanup Day.
The kākāpō, a flightless nocturnal parrot endemic to New Zealand, reached 325 birds after 90 fledged chicks were added to the population tally on 1 September 2026. The species is the world’s heaviest parrot and had crossed 300 birds for the first time in about 75 years by 31 August 2026.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav inaugurated a two-day international workshop in New Delhi on 2 September 2026. The workshop was held on the theme “Tiger Landscapes: Conservation, Bioeconomy and Ecotourism as Pillars for Livelihood and Income Generation” and continued till 3 September 2026.