Did Covid-19 lockdown positively affect the urban environment and UN- Sustainable Development Goals?

This work quantifies the impact of pre-, during- and post-lockdown periods of 2020 and 2019 imposed due to COVID-19, with regards to a set of satellite-based environmental parameters (greenness using Normalized Difference Vegetation and water indices, land surface temperature, night-time light, and energy consumption) in five alpha cities (Kuala Lumpur, Mexico, greater Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Toronto). We have inferenced our results with an extensive questionnaire-based survey of expert opinions about the environment-related UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Results showed considerable variation due to the lockdown on environment-related SDGs.

Abrupt upwelling and CO outgassing episodes in the north-eastern Arabian Sea since mid-Holocene.

Identifying the causes and consequences of natural variations in ocean acidification and atmospheric CO due to complex earth processes has been a major challenge for climate scientists in the past few decades. Recent developments in the boron isotope (δB) based seawater pH and pCO (or pCO) proxy have been pivotal in understanding the various oceanic processes involved in air-sea CO exchange. Here we present the first foraminifera-based δB record from the north-eastern Arabian Sea (NEAS) covering the mid-late Holocene (~ 8-1 ka).

Positive effects of COVID-19 lockdown on air quality of industrial cities (Ankleshwar and Vapi) of Western India.

On January 30, 2020, India recorded its first COVID-19 positive case in Kerala, which was followed by a nationwide lockdown extended in four different phases from 25th March to 31st May, 2020, and an unlock period thereafter. The lockdown has led to colossal economic loss to India; however, it has come as a respite to the environment. Utilizing the air quality index (AQI) data recorded during this adverse time, the present study is undertaken to assess the impact of lockdown on the air quality of Ankleshwar and Vapi, Gujarat, India.