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Climate change

Increased levels of carbon dioxide and other human-caused emissions being released into the atmosphere have caused global surface and ocean temperatures to rise at unprecedented speed.

A man in Denver uses a leaf blower to clear a light snow from the sidewalk in front of a home in a winter storm

A man in Denver uses a leaf blower to clear a light snow from the sidewalk in front of a home in a winter storm

What is climate? And how is it different from weather?

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All Content on this topic

Aerial view of a river meadow landscape featuring wetlands and a lush green vegetation

Aerial view of a river meadow landscape featuring wetlands and a lush green vegetation

How Poland's moorlands are welcoming birds again

The Polish village of Rozwarowo in northern Poland is saving the moors. Alfred Smolczynski initiated the process.

Housing crisis fuels anger in Mexico City — Global Us

US arrivals are driving up rents in Mexico City, forcing locals to leave their neighborhoods.

Living Planet 210318 Podcast Picture Teaser

Living Planet 210318 Podcast Picture Teaser

What are students really learning about climate change?

Climate science is under pressure in US schools. But two teachers from different parts of the country refuse to give in.

Zangbeto, a spirtitual night watchman is called by a voodoo priest to protect the endangeres mangroce forest at Lake Ahémé in Benin.

Zangbeto, a spirtitual night watchman is called by a voodoo priest to protect the endangeres mangroce forest at Lake Ahémé in Benin.

Voodoo helps protect endangered mangroves in Benin

Where laws failed, an ancient belief in the spiritual guardian Zangbeto is safeguarding vital mangroves in Benin.

Top view of a cup of coffee, a white saucer and roasted coffee beans

Top view of a cup of coffee, a white saucer and roasted coffee beans

Coffee prices surge as climate and trade shake global supply

Coffee prices have been rising due to a year of poor harvests caused by extreme weather in producer countries.

Solar panels perched on top of mountains

Solar panels perched on top of mountains

Renewables overtake coal in global electricity generation

Solar and wind capacities are growing at a faster pace than global electricity demand, according to new research.

Breathe deep: Exhibition explores the power of air

An exhibition at the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden asks: how important is air?

Cows are seen on a field in German

Cows are seen on a field in German

Online attacks threaten major climate-friendly diet report

An update to an influential food and planetary health report is in the crosshairs of a pro-meat misinformation campaign.

DW Sendung | Eco India | Data Center

DW Sendung | Eco India | Data Center

How AI and tech impacts our planet

The rise of AI has sparked a boom in the construction of water-guzzling data centers. Can India's thirsty cities cope?

Woman watering a tree in Timisoara, Romania

Woman watering a tree in Timisoara, Romania

Romania: Timisoara's budding tree-watering movement

Volunteers in Timisoara, Romania, are using an app to locate and water saplings planted by the local administration.

View of an embankment secured with terracotta rings

View of an embankment secured with terracotta rings

Sundarbans: Terracotta rings offer hope against rising seas

The world’s largest mangrove forest is sinking due to climate change, threatening millions. Could terracotta help?

A Black girl planting a tree with her hands

A Black girl planting a tree with her hands

Kids in Uganda adopt trees as pets

Ugandan kids get birthday trees as "pets" — a project that fosters care, fights deforestation, and climate change.

The picture shows old paintings on a rock in Chad.

The picture shows old paintings on a rock in Chad.

Ancient paintings unveil the Sahara's forgotten green past

Ennedi's rock art recalls a green Sahara. Today, climate change is once again reshaping the desert's fragile balance.

Sunset on a lake in Europe

Sunset on a lake in Europe

Environmental damage threatens prosperity in Europe

Researchers say environmental damage threatens competitiveness and quality of life on the continent.

a view of the coastal erosion in Ayetoro, Southwest Nigeria

a view of the coastal erosion in Ayetoro, Southwest Nigeria

Coastal erosion threatens entire communities in Nigeria

DW's Olisa Chukwumah went to Apakin, where residents fear the extinction of their villages as the coastline shrinks.

DW | Eco Africa | 2025 | Gesamtsendung Ennedi Tschad

DW | Eco Africa | 2025 | Gesamtsendung Ennedi Tschad

Rock art shows Sahara's green past

In the Ennedi massif in Chad, rock art reveals that the Sahara used to be green.

On a flat roof, two men (L) squat near what looks like a large plastic box. A woman wearing an orange sweater stands R, with her right hand on the device

On a flat roof, two men (L) squat near what looks like a large plastic box. A woman wearing an orange sweater stands R, with her right hand on the device

Artificial photosynthesis systems remove CO2 from air

Removing CO2 from the atmosphere could help slow climate change. Climatologist Kira Rehfeld is working on how.

View of a person on a bicycle near a square with a fountain and trees

View of a person on a bicycle near a square with a fountain and trees

Tropical nights in Zurich — a city trying to beat the heat

Making the roads whiter and covering walls with climbing plants are just two of the city's many ideas.

Firefighters try to control a wildfire with water hoses

Firefighters try to control a wildfire with water hoses

Wildfires on the rise: Rethinking prevention across Europe

Raging wildfires are reshaping landscapes worldwide. Why and how prevention, not suppression, is the key.

Man fishing out items from flood waters resulting from heavy rain in Bali, Indonesia

Man fishing out items from flood waters resulting from heavy rain in Bali, Indonesia

Nations deliver new climate targets ahead of climate summit

With just weeks to go until the international climate conference, nations are stepping up to submit new climate targets.

Earth from above

Earth from above

State of climate change: How healthy is our planet?

Scientists say we've already exceeded seven of nine planetary boundaries contributing to Earth's stability.

Two sea turtles moving through sand

Two sea turtles moving through sand

Too hot for males — Kenya faces a sea turtle crisis

When temperatures are too hot, only female turtles hatch. Can Kenya’s Turtle Police save them?

A woman drinks contaminated water from a plastic bowl at Lake Turkana in Kenya.

A woman drinks contaminated water from a plastic bowl at Lake Turkana in Kenya.

Communities at Lake Turkana face water and food crisis

An UN project aims to improve water and food security for communities living by Lake Turkana.

A woman standing in rubber boots in a moorland landscape

A woman standing in rubber boots in a moorland landscape

German peatlands expert works to restore bogs and fens

Peatlands store more CO2 than forests and are under massive threat. Franziska Tanneberger fights to protect them.

An aerial view of the Tiergarten park and the city skyline behind the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

An aerial view of the Tiergarten park and the city skyline behind the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Welcome to 2050: Could Berlin's future look like this?

If Berlin were to become a climate-neutral city within the next 25 years, daily life could be radically different.

Philippines Aparri 2025 | A man stands near debris on a waterfront road amid heavy rain due to weather patterns from Super Typhoon Ragasa

Philippines Aparri 2025 | A man stands near debris on a waterfront road amid heavy rain due to weather patterns from Super Typhoon Ragasa

Philippines: Typhoon Ragasa prompts evacuations

Typhoon Ragas is one of the strongest storms to hit the region in years.

A jellyfish is seen under water, with the sun shining through the water from above

A jellyfish is seen under water, with the sun shining through the water from above

Mapping the world's oceans — a blessing or a curse?

The race to understand the ocean depths could further scientific understanding, but also lead to exploitation.

A protester in a crowd holds up a sign that says "Save the earth, it’s the only planet with cats"

A protester in a crowd holds up a sign that says "Save the earth, it’s the only planet with cats"

Protesters call on Germany to wake up to climate change

Thousands of people took to the streets across Germany to demand more action be taken to tackle the climate crisis.

A Swiss family with six children living on their sailboat.

A Swiss family with six children living on their sailboat.

Swiss family spends life on the seven seas

A Swiss family with six children has been living on a sailboat for 26 years, advocating for the planet's protection.

Wildfires — When mismanagement is the real enemy

Some landscapes actually need fires to survive, but in most places they only fuel devastation.

The image shows a before-and-after comparison of a transformed residential complex in Singapore. On the left, a gray concrete wasteland; on the right, the high-rise buildings are integrated into a lush green park landscape.

The image shows a before-and-after comparison of a transformed residential complex in Singapore. On the left, a gray concrete wasteland; on the right, the high-rise buildings are integrated into a lush green park landscape.

How your city should be protecting you from heat and floods

From Ahmedabad to Boston, cities across the world are making big changes to cope with floods and heat.

View of a man and a woman walking in a "corridor" near huge indoor basins in a Berlin water treatment facility

View of a man and a woman walking in a "corridor" near huge indoor basins in a Berlin water treatment facility

Berlin adapts — tackling water shortages with innovation

From ports to parks, the German capital has had water shortages in recent years. How to safeguard drinking water?

Young woman browsing through racks of clothing at a high-end store for vintage clothing in Berlin

Young woman browsing through racks of clothing at a high-end store for vintage clothing in Berlin

What you need to know about thrifting

Thrifting promises to be cheap, stylish, sustainable. But it's not always the green alternative to new clothes.

Image of the rising water level of Lake Turkana in Kenya

Image of the rising water level of Lake Turkana in Kenya

How Kenya's north is tackling water insecurity

Water security in Kenya, women in Gambia fight for a greener future, recycling German-style, and hydropower in Austria.

Fires in Spain, flames with firefighters in background on August 13, 2025

Fires in Spain, flames with firefighters in background on August 13, 2025

EU struggles on climate plan ahead of Brazil conference

Divisions in the EU over emissions-cutting targets are stymieing agreement on a climate plan to meet a UN deadline.

A view of five people planting rice seedlings at a paddy field in Namie, a Fukushima Prefecture town

A view of five people planting rice seedlings at a paddy field in Namie, a Fukushima Prefecture town

Could Japanese rice turn from staple to luxury?

Japan’s rice prices soar. Farmers and tech try to save a tradition at risk of disappearing.

On the side of a train, a sign read: H2 roes Rail

On the side of a train, a sign read: H2 roes Rail

Is the green hydrogen dream over?

Long been hyped as the key to decarbonizing big industries like steel, green hydrogen energy investments have dried up.

Several Chang gar bamboo homes build on stilts are visible through the mist, with trees behind them.

Several Chang gar bamboo homes build on stilts are visible through the mist, with trees behind them.

India's Chang Ghar traditional homes are resilient to floods

As Assam floods worsen, the Mising people's way of life models climate resilience. But their idyllic home is at risk.

A man stands in the middle of a gully in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo by Matthias Vanmaercke

A man stands in the middle of a gully in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo by Matthias Vanmaercke

Massive trenches are swallowing homes across the DRC

As "gullies" tear through the DRC, researchers attribute the growing crisis to climate change and poor urban planning.

A weather presenter wearing a life jacket and holding a microphone against a backdrop of a flooded street

A weather presenter wearing a life jacket and holding a microphone against a backdrop of a flooded street

Why TV weather forecasters are targeted by online hate

Experts say climate misinformation and conspiracies are fueling abuse, with meterologists among those receiving hate.

A woman tries to extinguish a wildfire near the village of Larouco, in the province of Ourense, in northwestern Spain, on August 13, 2025

A woman tries to extinguish a wildfire near the village of Larouco, in the province of Ourense, in northwestern Spain, on August 13, 2025

Spain sees hottest summer on record in 2025

Spain recorded a heatwave on one-third of days in summer 2025 as meteorologists say extreme heat is becoming the norm.

A thin strip of land with vegetation and homes, the ocean on both sides

A thin strip of land with vegetation and homes, the ocean on both sides

Tuvalu is sinking — what's next for residents?

Most islanders want out as the seas rise — climate migration is no longer tomorrow's threat, but today's reality.

Large pile of corn cobs in Monsanto, Mexico. Burlap bags of corn in the foreground, two farmers in the background.

Large pile of corn cobs in Monsanto, Mexico. Burlap bags of corn in the foreground, two farmers in the background.

Why does genetic engineering have such a bad image?

Genetically modified crops are under fire. But scientists agree that genetic engineering is a key future technology.

Grand Canyon National Park with smoke from wildfires settling

Grand Canyon National Park with smoke from wildfires settling

Experts fired by Trump revive popular climate website

After Trump administration cuts shut down the popular climate.gov site, experts have launched an independent successor.

A file photo taken on March 9, 2025 shows a general view of erosion at Miami Beach after the sand was washed away during Tropical Cyclone Alfred on the Gold Coast, Australia

A file photo taken on March 9, 2025 shows a general view of erosion at Miami Beach after the sand was washed away during Tropical Cyclone Alfred on the Gold Coast, Australia

Australia: Climate report reveals rising oceans threat

Millions of Australians are facing dire consequences caused by climate change, a landmark report has revealed.

William Gregorio and his son Yamry stand where the family's former home once stood

William Gregorio and his son Yamry stand where the family's former home once stood

Philippines: Rising sea levels or sinking land?

Filipinos often find themselves up to their necks in floodwater. Experts do not see climate change as the sole cause.

Tuvalu's exodus: How long will the islands remain habitable?

The women's Las Amazonas softball team challenges traditional gender roles in Mexico.

Living Planet 210318 Podcast Picture Teaser

Living Planet 210318 Podcast Picture Teaser

Storms, science, and threats: The struggles of a weatherman

What happens when science collides with conspiracy? When a weather forecast sparks hate mail and even death threats?

DW Eco India (Sendungslogo Composite)

DW Eco India (Sendungslogo Composite)

Water — too much and not enough — Eco India

Climate change is bringing floods and droughts. How do we adapt? From snakes in Kerala to flood-resilient homes in Assam

People carrying their belongings wade through a flooded street following overnight heavy rains

People carrying their belongings wade through a flooded street following overnight heavy rains

Indonesia: 19 dead after flash floods

Two islands were affected by flash floods, including tourist hotspot Bali. At least 19 people have been killed.