[Commentary] Paddy, politics and environmentalism in Kerala
The unassuming paddy fields have been the hotbed for politics for decades in the state of Kerala, and continue to be so even contemporarily. These fields has witnessed some of…
Environmental headlines
Reader-supported news and inspiration from nature's frontline. Mongabay is a non-profit.
Dubai climate summit puts food on high table for first time, India stays away
For nearly three decades of negotiations on ways to contain global warming, food systems and agriculture did not feature prominently at the annual UN climate summits. That changed in the…
Your Environment This Week: The Kempholey night frog, Loss and Damage Fund at COP28
This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To…
Analysing the history of the Indian Ocean with past cruise records and sediment cores
Almost 150 years ago, Christmas, aboard the SMS Gazelle, a mid-sized German warship that circumnavigated the globe in the late 19th century, was a day of activity. The vessel’s naval…
COP28 launches loss and damage fund, but pledges are a drop in the ocean
The annual UN climate summit began on an extraordinarily positive note on November 30, responding to the needs of vulnerable countries facing the unavoidable impacts of climate change. The 28th…
Grassland loss threatens endemic birds in Arunachal sanctuary
On a humid, overcast afternoon in June, Namash Pasar spotted something adrift in the rising floodwaters while surveying deluge on the outskirts of Jonai town in upper Assam's Dhemaji district.…
Genetic insights of the Kempholey night frog offer better conservation strategies
A new study in the Western Ghats has found that, contrary to popular belief, river drainage boundaries were not strong barriers to the movement of aquatic Kempholey night frog. Instead,…
FAO estimates $12.7 trillion worth hidden costs in the journey of food from farm to table
A recent report reveals that the global agrifood system, while having benefits of nutrition and livelihood, has hidden costs, such as those related to health and the environment. These add…
[Commentary] Erratic weather, altered social dynamics disrupt mahua economy in eastern India
The end of March marks the mahua flowering season in the dry forest regions of central Indian highlands and adjoining Chota Nagpur Plateau (CNP); the air becomes thick with the…
Loss and damage, climate action stocktake, fossil fuel phase out among key issues at COP28
As the 28th annual Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change draws near, countries and Party blocks are evaluating their positions on topics that could…
[Interview] Unpacking WTO’s involvement in trade and environment negotiation at COP28 with Abhijit Das
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is actively involved in the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), co-leading the first ever trade day, in Dubai on December 4, marking a significant focus…
[Commentary] Neglecting household biomedical waste management can lead to adverse environmental effects
Solid waste management has become a global issue that impacts everyone. Population growth and rapid urbanisation have accelerated waste generation at an alarming rate — approximately 2 billion tonnes of…
The Forest Rights Act sees outcome in a women-led forest stewardship scheme in Odisha
When her mother-in-law started taking her along on forest patrols, Pramila Pradhan, 51, began embracing thengapalli, a form of forest stewardship. In Kodalpalli, Odisha, thenga means stick, and palli means…
Your Environment This Week: Porcupines in saffron fields, Balancing conservation and national security, Waste management in Ladakh
This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To…
Navigating trade and the role of WTO at COP28
The role of trade and trade policy is increasingly being considered in discussions to further climate action. Trade will be in the spotlight at the upcoming UN climate conference in…
Dachigam National Park at risk as forest cover, natural habitat reduces, reveals study
The Dachigam National Park in Kashmir, surrounded by the lush Zabarwan mountains, stands out with its unique and diverse landscape. The protected area is an important conservation reserve serving as…
Loss of forest cover in Kashmir is pitting a protected animal against the world’s costliest spice
As their natural habitats are reducing, porcupines in Jammu and Kashmir are entering saffron fields in search of food and damaging the prized crop. Saffron farmers in the Kashmir Valley…
[Commentary] Amendments in the Forest Conservation Act enable community-led recognition of forests
The latest amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, have been widely criticised for diluting the legal safeguards applicable to forest lands. Incidentally, this coincides with the union government’s ascendant…
Emerging economies need carbon space to achieve decent living standards and net-zero emissions
Meeting net-zero emission targets will be a challenge for emerging economies that are striving to achieve decent standards of living, says a new study that adds to the growing body…
No magic bullets to deal with snakebites
Ganesh V.S. from Chowdikatte, a village in Karnataka’s Mysuru district, had lost his wife to renal failure, a little over a year after she was bitten by a snake. In…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- [Commentary] Neglecting household biomedical waste management can lead to adverse environmental effects
- No magic bullets to deal with snakebites
- Six years on, cyclone Ockhi survivors battle lingering mental health impacts
- Gig workers in India are exposed to highly polluted air and carcinogens, finds preliminary study
Almost Famous Species
- Genetic insights of the Kempholey night frog offer better conservation strategies
- Saving India’s only ape, the hoolock gibbon
- [Interview] “Favourable conditions and diet important for ex-situ conservation of wild cats”
- A 100 camera traps to monitor rusty-spotted cats in Keoladeo National Park
Eco Hope
- Green pilgrimage model balances faith and conservation
- [Video] Restoring the perennial Thamirabarani river with people power
- [Interview] Conservation scientist Joli Rumi Borah on integrating traditional knowledge in research
- [Interview] Scientist Ruth DeFries on deforestation: There isn’t one driver, there’s a different context in different places
India's Iconic Landscapes
- [Commentary] Up close and personal with the fragility of the Himalayas
- Studies reveal impact of land use on species diversity in rock outcrops
- Improved tiger numbers come with hidden messages on invasives, habitat connectivity
- Gymnosperms that are critical for coniferous forest health may be steadily declining in response to climate change
Beyond Protected Areas
- Grassland loss threatens endemic birds in Arunachal sanctuary
- Genetic insights of the Kempholey night frog offer better conservation strategies
- Loss of forest cover in Kashmir is pitting a protected animal against the world’s costliest spice
- India following a global trend of forsaking environment protection for “national security,” paper says
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- [Commentary] Erratic weather, altered social dynamics disrupt mahua economy in eastern India
- Horseshoe crab decline sparks urgent conservation plea
- Production of rugra, a nutritious mushroom found in Jharkhand, impacted by weather changes
- [Commentary] Soil degradation in India spells doom for millions
Just Transitions
- [Video] Rooftop solar, an emerging solution to Bihar’s land shortage that’s stalling renewable progress
- India needs to face challenge of funding thermal power plant closure, says new report
- With no primary data on impacts, government approves an oil extraction technique 500 m outside forests
- Climate action not on track to meet Paris Agreement goals, says Global Stocktake report
