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	<channel>
		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/author/adititandon/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:49:09 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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					<title>Scrublands and ravines offer key habitat for the elusive caracal</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/caracal-prefer-ravines-open-natural-ecosystems-over-protected-areas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/caracal-prefer-ravines-open-natural-ecosystems-over-protected-areas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Jul 2026 14:16:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caracal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife monitoring]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/09121119/Caracal-in-the-Ranthambhore-Kailadevi-Dholpur-landscape_Ranthambhore-Tiger-Reserve-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39121</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Camera traps, Cats, Conservation, Endangered species, Grasslands, Protected Areas, Thar Desert, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The caracal is one of India&#8217;s most elusive wild cats. With its sandy coat, lean frame and distinctive black ear tufts, it is instantly recognisable. Yet sightings are rare, and much of what researchers know about the species comes from scattered records rather than dedicated research. A recent study from southeastern Rajasthan on caracals and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The caracal is one of India&#8217;s most elusive wild cats. With its sandy coat, lean frame and distinctive black ear tufts, it is instantly recognisable. Yet sightings are rare, and much of what researchers know about the species comes from scattered records rather than dedicated research. A recent study from southeastern Rajasthan on caracals and their habitats, is looking to change that. Using camera-trap records and habitat modelling, researchers have identified areas likely to support caracals across the Greater Ranthambhore landscape and the environmental features most strongly associated with the species&#8217; occurrence. “Very little was known about its current distribution, habitat requirements, or population status. Most available information came from scattered historical records, opportunistic sightings, and anecdotal observations, making it difficult to develop effective conservation strategies. Our study was motivated by the need to move beyond isolated records and develop a landscape-level understanding of where suitable habitats still exist for the species,” shares Ayan Sadhu, a research scientist at the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India, and a corresponding author of the study. A landscape beyond the tiger reserve The study focused on the Kailadevi landscape, which forms the northern extension of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. Situated between Banas and Chambal rivers, the semi-arid region is a mosaic of scrub forests, rocky plateaus, ravines and villages. It supports a diverse carnivore community that includes tigers, leopards, wolves, striped hyenas and jungle cats. To understand how caracals use this landscape, researchers deployed camera traps at 177 locations between January&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/caracal-prefer-ravines-open-natural-ecosystems-over-protected-areas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/caracal-prefer-ravines-open-natural-ecosystems-over-protected-areas/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Cooling cities needs climate-smart design, not just more trees</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/cooling-cities-needs-climate-smart-design-not-just-more-trees/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/cooling-cities-needs-climate-smart-design-not-just-more-trees/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Jul 2026 13:23:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Deepa Padmanabhan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat wave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heatwave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tree plantation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban climate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban forest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban Heat Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban trees]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/09130111/AP24170444747328-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39112</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Ecosystem services, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Impacts of Climate Change, Nature-based Climate Solutions, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Urban greening is widely promoted as a solution to rising temperatures. But can planting more trees actually make people feel hotter in some cities? A new study published in Nature Communications by researchers from IIT Gandhinagar and Northeastern University, USA examines this paradox. Instead of looking only at air temperature or land surface temperature, the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Urban greening is widely promoted as a solution to rising temperatures. But can planting more trees actually make people feel hotter in some cities? A new study published in Nature Communications by researchers from IIT Gandhinagar and Northeastern University, USA examines this paradox. Instead of looking only at air temperature or land surface temperature, the study focused on the Heat Index (HI) which is the “feels like” temperature that combines heat and humidity because humans respond to both temperature and moisture in the air. The study finds that while urban trees generally help cool cities by providing shade, reducing incoming solar radiation, and lowering surface temperatures, these benefits vary in different cities. In humid cities, dense tree canopies can inadvertently increase heat stress by boosting evapotranspiration, which releases more moisture into the air. Where buildings are closely packed and airflow is restricted, this extra humidity can raise the Heat Index even if the air itself becomes cooler. On the other hand, semi-arid cities experience more consistent cooling because the drier atmosphere can absorb additional moisture without becoming uncomfortably humid. The study&#8217;s first author, Angana Borah, says the same tree can produce very different thermal comfort outcomes depending on where it is planted, the surrounding urban density and the local climate. As cities warm faster than their rural surroundings, climate-responsive greening is important, the study notes. Canopy structure plays a role The study analysed three different aspects of vegetation — EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index), LAI (Leaf Area Index) and fPAR (Fraction&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/cooling-cities-needs-climate-smart-design-not-just-more-trees/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/cooling-cities-needs-climate-smart-design-not-just-more-trees/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Proposed solar project in India&#8217;s largest grassland sparks conservation concerns</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-solar-project-in-indias-largest-grassland-sparks-conservation-concerns/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-solar-project-in-indias-largest-grassland-sparks-conservation-concerns/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Jul 2026 16:27:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ronak Gajjar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ramsar site]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ramsar sites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/08102058/009-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39076</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Community based conservation, Conservation, Grasslands, Indigenous Peoples, Lakes, Renewable Energy, Thar Desert, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Banni grasslands of Kachchh represent one of the most unique, complex, and fragile ecological mosaics in the Indian subcontinent. For centuries, this vast expanse in the western state of Gujarat has been shaped by the harmonious coexistence of diverse wildlife and the Maldharis, a traditional pastoralist community. The region gained greater conservation recognition earlier [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Banni grasslands of Kachchh represent one of the most unique, complex, and fragile ecological mosaics in the Indian subcontinent. For centuries, this vast expanse in the western state of Gujarat has been shaped by the harmonious coexistence of diverse wildlife and the Maldharis, a traditional pastoralist community. The region gained greater conservation recognition earlier this year when its Chhari Dhandh wetland was designated as a Ramsar site in January, making it Kachchh&#8217;s first and Gujarat&#8217;s fifth Ramsar site, highlighting the wetland&#8217;s critical biodiversity. However, a proposed solar power plant near the wetland has sparked concerns over its ecological impact and triggered opposition from local communities. The solar power plant, proposed by the NTPC Renewable Energy Limited, will be spread over 4,500-acres as per the claim in the notice published by the Fulay Juth (group) gram panchayat in the newspaper on May 12. Documents accessed by Mongabay-India reveal that the timeline for securing the required No Objection Certificates (NOCs) was initiated in 2024. According to local conservationists and a forest official, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity as they have been instructed to not speak to the media, the project has now begun active groundwork, with site surveys, fencing installation, and the management of Prosopis juliflora underway. However, conservationists, ecologists, wildlife photographers, and local pastoralists fear that the project will cause irreversible damage to the ecology of Chhari Dhandh wetland. A herder with camels in the lush grasslands bordering the Chhari Dhandh wetland in Kachchh, Gujarat, which received&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-solar-project-in-indias-largest-grassland-sparks-conservation-concerns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-solar-project-in-indias-largest-grassland-sparks-conservation-concerns/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The rusty-coated bamboo muncher</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/the-rusty-coated-bamboo-muncher/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/the-rusty-coated-bamboo-muncher/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Jul 2026 15:00:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Team Mongabay-India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[red panda]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/07195755/red-panda-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=39070</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Species File]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Forests, Himalayas, Mammals, and Mountains]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Meet the red panda. With a unique ruddy coat, ringed tail and a laid-back demeanour, it has a short home range, not exceeding two to three kilometres.

With an incurable sweet tooth, this mammal spends hours feeding on tender bamboo shoots. Despite this predominantly plant-based diet, it is a carnivore as it also eats eggs, insects and small birds.]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Species File: Exploring India&#8217;s biodiversity, one species at a time. With an incurable sweet tooth, this mammal spends hours feeding on tender bamboo shoots. While it has a predominantly plant-based diet, it is a carnivore, occasionally eating eggs, insects and small birds. Meet the red panda (Ailurus fulgens). It has a unique ruddy coat, ringed tail and a laid-back demeanour. It is not much of a traveller and stays within a short home range of two to three kilometres. There are two species of red pandas — the Himalayan red panda (Aurilius fulgens fulgens) and the Chinese red panda (Aurilius fulgens styani). The two species are distributed in the eastern and north-eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests and the eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests, located in China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and northern Myanmar. The red panda faces multiple threats ranging from habitat loss to illegal trapping and poaching, as well as snaring in traps set for other animals. While red panda related crimes are at a relatively low level in India compared to Nepal, experts advise threat assessment, population estimations, boosting community conservation initiatives, building on red panda crime database and creating DNA databases at regional levels. In Nepal’s Taplejung district, Forest Guardians are on the frontlines of red panda conservation. They monitor habitat, deter poaching and gather scientific data to help protect the species — part of a citizen-led program launched in 2010. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species categorises the red panda as endangered&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/the-rusty-coated-bamboo-muncher/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/the-rusty-coated-bamboo-muncher/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Why feasibility matters for land use projects in India [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/why-feasibility-matters-for-land-use-projects-in-india-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/why-feasibility-matters-for-land-use-projects-in-india-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Jul 2026 15:37:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[J.V. SharmaSayanta Ghosh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/07142040/AP274368273581-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39054</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Carbon emissions, Carbon Finance, Carbon Offset, Carbon Trading, Climate Change Mitigation, Deforestation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Forestry, Forests, Grasslands, Green Business, and Reforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India’s carbon market conversation is widening beyond energy and industry. Forests, farms, grasslands, wetlands, mangroves and rice fields are increasingly being viewed as spaces where climate action, ecological restoration and rural livelihoods can converge. Carbon credits are expected to help bring private finance into these landscapes. But the global experience of the voluntary carbon market [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India’s carbon market conversation is widening beyond energy and industry. Forests, farms, grasslands, wetlands, mangroves and rice fields are increasingly being viewed as spaces where climate action, ecological restoration and rural livelihoods can converge. Carbon credits are expected to help bring private finance into these landscapes. But the global experience of the voluntary carbon market shows that a project can be registered, verified and even generate credits without necessarily delivering the climate or community outcomes that buyers assume. After evaluating 2,346 carbon-crediting projects and nearly one billion tonnes of issued credits, a 2024 study in Nature Communications estimated that less than 16% of the credits examined, represented real emission reductions. The study does not mean that every carbon project has failed, but it shows how badly results can diverge from claims when baselines, additionality or monitoring are weak. Specific cases make the warning harder to ignore. In 2025, the carbon certifier Verra reviewed Zimbabwe’s Kariba REDD+ project and found that actual deforestation in the reference area was far lower than originally projected. Verra identified 15.22 million excess credits among 26.82 million credits already issued and said these could no longer be corrected through future monitoring periods because the project had withdrawn from its registry. Similarly, in 2024, Verra rejected 37 rice-cultivation projects in China. It sanctioned project proponents and validation bodies and required compensation for overissued credits after concerns were raised about project areas, additionality and emission-reduction calculations. Community governance can be equally decisive. The Northern Kenya Grassland Carbon Project&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/why-feasibility-matters-for-land-use-projects-in-india-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Warming lake threatens fish habitats and the wetland economy</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/warming-lake-threatens-fish-habitats-and-the-wetland-economy/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/warming-lake-threatens-fish-habitats-and-the-wetland-economy/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Jul 2026 13:34:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Barasha Das]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[global warming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Loktak Lake]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/07121938/Fishing-community-in-Loktak-Lake.-PC-R.K.-Neetu-Sana-1-scaled-e1783407009209-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39035</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Manipur]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Fish, Impacts of Climate Change, Lakes, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Loktak lake is northeast India’s largest freshwater wetland and is the ecological heart of Manipur. The lake spans about 287 square kilometres, about half the size of the capital Imphal, and is already under growing stress from pollution, altered hydrology and catchment degradation. Now, a new study warns that climate change could further reduce the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Loktak lake is northeast India’s largest freshwater wetland and is the ecological heart of Manipur. The lake spans about 287 square kilometres, about half the size of the capital Imphal, and is already under growing stress from pollution, altered hydrology and catchment degradation. Now, a new study warns that climate change could further reduce the fish habitat that sustains livelihoods and food systems. The study published in the journal Ecological Indicators finds that rising temperatures and shifting monsoon patterns could reduce habitat suitability for native fish species. Using predictive methods, researchers have mapped out how a changing climate will fundamentally alter the lake’s water depth, temperature, and oxygen levels. Loktak is an indelible part of the Manipuri identity — lives, lore, legends, history, and aquatic ecosystems. It was designated a Ramsar site in 1990, and made its way into the Montreux Record, a register of wetlands that face significant ecological threats, in 1993. Loktak in Manipur is northeast India’s largest freshwater wetland. Amidst growing stress from pollution, altered hydrology and catchment degradation, a new study warns that climate change could further impact fish habitat that sustain livelihoods and food systems. Image by zehawk via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). Fish habitat under threat &#8220;We wanted to gauge the health of the entire lake,” says Vicky Anand, lead author of the study. “Fish are considered the most sensitive indicator of a water body’s health. We bypassed harder pollution-tolerant fish that can survive anywhere, choosing instead the rohu (Labeo rohita), an indigenous carp,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/warming-lake-threatens-fish-habitats-and-the-wetland-economy/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Scientists test turning aquatic weeds into liquid fertilisers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/scientists-test-turning-aquatic-weeds-into-liquid-fertilisers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/scientists-test-turning-aquatic-weeds-into-liquid-fertilisers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Jul 2026 11:59:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organic farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/07104509/retiredlife-scaled-e1783401379419-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39022</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Himalayas, Lakes, Natural Resources, Nature-based Climate Solutions, Plants, Positive Environmental, Sustainability, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The uncontrolled growth of aquatic plants has become a major environmental challenge in Dal lake, an important freshwater lake in the Kashmir Himalaya. A new study has tested a way to convert these excess plants into fermented liquid fertilisers, offering a potential solution to manage weed overgrowth while producing a useful agricultural input. Dal, a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The uncontrolled growth of aquatic plants has become a major environmental challenge in Dal lake, an important freshwater lake in the Kashmir Himalaya. A new study has tested a way to convert these excess plants into fermented liquid fertilisers, offering a potential solution to manage weed overgrowth while producing a useful agricultural input. Dal, a culturally and ecologically important lake in Kashmir, has been showing visible symptoms of eutrophication, with runoff from surrounding areas, untreated sewage, and other pollutants adding excess nutrients to the lake and leading to the rapid growth of aquatic plants. While aquatic vegetation can be useful as food, medicine, and fodder, overgrowth disrupts water quality, alters ecohydrology, and threatens native biodiversity. “While the overgrowth of aquatic plants and algae blooms follows a seasonal cycle, the underlying decline in water quality is palpable year-round. We’ve seen the lake struggle under the weight of these excess nutrients, which is exactly why we are focused on repurposing that biomass into something useful for our land,” Kowsar Majid, one of the study authors and a professor in the department of chemistry at National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, told Mongabay-India. The study was published in ACS Sustainable Resource Management journal in March 2026. The findings are a proof of concept, with further studies needed to assess costs, large-scale feasibility and regulatory approval before the approach can be adopted widely. Majid explains that most previous work on Dal lake biomass has focused on solid soil amendments such as compost, vermicompost or hydrochar.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/scientists-test-turning-aquatic-weeds-into-liquid-fertilisers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Major mugger habitats lie outside protected areas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/study-finds-major-mugger-habitats-lie-outside-protected-areas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/study-finds-major-mugger-habitats-lie-outside-protected-areas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Jul 2026 13:11:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[critical habitat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crocodiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[muggers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban wetlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/06111444/A-local-fisherman-and-a-mugger_-the-Kollidam-River_-Jason-Dominic-Gerar-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39004</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Dams, Habitat Loss, Reptiles, Rivers, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[From the rocky gorges of Hogenakkal to the coastal marshes of Muthupet, the mugger crocodile has long inhabited the rivers, reservoirs and wetlands of the Kaveri river basin in southern India. A new study estimated that while there are about 2,209 square kilometres of potentially suitable mugger habitat in the river basin, only about 38% [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[From the rocky gorges of Hogenakkal to the coastal marshes of Muthupet, the mugger crocodile has long inhabited the rivers, reservoirs and wetlands of the Kaveri river basin in southern India. A new study estimated that while there are about 2,209 square kilometres of potentially suitable mugger habitat in the river basin, only about 38% falls within the existing protected area network, leaving much of the species&#8217; habitat exposed to human pressures. The study, published in the journal Ecological Applications, assesses mugger habitat across the entire Kaveri (Cauvery) river basin which stretches across parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and covers about 81,155 sq. km. in southern India. &#8220;The number that stays with me is 38%. Only 38% of the habitat our model identified as potentially suitable for muggers falls within the existing protected area network. That means roughly six in every ten hectares of meaningful mugger habitat is outside any formal protection, unmanaged, unmonitored, and subject to the full range of human pressures,&#8221; says co-author Nikhil Whitaker, the Research Director at Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology. Building a basin-wide picture The mugger is one of India&#8217;s three native crocodilian species and is found in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and marshes across much of the subcontinent. Although populations have been studied in river systems such as the Moyar, Kabini and Amaravati, researchers say conservation planning has lacked a basin-wide understanding of where suitable habitat occurs and what factors shape its distribution. “The CRB (Cauvery River Basin) has&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/study-finds-major-mugger-habitats-lie-outside-protected-areas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/study-finds-major-mugger-habitats-lie-outside-protected-areas/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Indigenous communities missing in India’s report on access and benefit sharing [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indigenous-communities-missing-in-indias-report-on-access-and-benefit-sharing-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indigenous-communities-missing-in-indias-report-on-access-and-benefit-sharing-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Jul 2026 12:46:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Alphonsa JojanShyama Kuriakose]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[access benefit sharing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Convention on Biological Diversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indigenous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indigenous Peoples]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/06093427/AP25134623115158-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38994</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, and Indigenous Rights]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India as a biodiversity-rich nation has been lauded for its legislative efforts in championing the domestic implementation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) through its Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Additionally, as a party to the CBD, a global agreement on biodiversity protection, India also sought to implement the Nagoya Protocol on access to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India as a biodiversity-rich nation has been lauded for its legislative efforts in championing the domestic implementation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) through its Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Additionally, as a party to the CBD, a global agreement on biodiversity protection, India also sought to implement the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation (Nagoya Protocol) through the existing Biological Diversity (BD) Act framework and the specific Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Regulations under it. The BD Act and its rules along with the ABS Regulations together aim at regulating access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge, and sharing benefits equitably and fairly from the use of such resources and knowledge. In preparation for the 17th Conference of the Parties to the CBD in 2026, India has submitted its first national report on implementation of Nagoya Protocol on February 27, 2026. This commentary examines the submissions of the Indian government in the report with respect to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). Negation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities The Nagoya Protocol places special obligations on member countries to recognise the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) under the access and benefit-sharing (ABS) mechanism. To elaborate, IPLCs have the right to give prior informed consent (PIC) to the use of their bioresources and their traditional knowledge. This is what is generally known as ‘community PIC’ and it includes the right of the communities to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indigenous-communities-missing-in-indias-report-on-access-and-benefit-sharing-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indigenous-communities-missing-in-indias-report-on-access-and-benefit-sharing-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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						<item>
					<title>As elephants venture to higher altitudes researchers track possibilities of conflict</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jul 2026 15:55:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephant corridors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elephant Movement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife corridors]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/03141812/Picture2_Camera-trap-capture-of-an-elephant-herd-above-3200-m-the-highest-known-altitude-of-elephant-presence.-C-WWF-IndiaArunachal-Pradesh-Forest-Department-e1783069319919-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38962</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Camera traps, Conservation, Elephants, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Human Wildlife Conflict, Land Rights, Mammals, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh may be present at higher elevations than previously thought. According to the new action plan on managing human-elephant conflict in the state, elephant tracks as well as a camera trap image of a juvenile elephant were observed at an altitude of 3,266 metres in the state’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, possibly the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh may be present at higher elevations than previously thought. According to the new action plan on managing human-elephant conflict in the state, elephant tracks as well as a camera trap image of a juvenile elephant were observed at an altitude of 3,266 metres in the state’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, possibly the highest recorded presence of Asian elephants in the world. The highest known record of an elephant (African elephant) is at around 4,000 metres, on Mount Kenya. Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh were previously known to be present primarily in the lower reaches and Himalayan foothills occasionally moving up to an altitude of 2,000 meters. However, this assessment found their presence at altitudes going up to 3,266 metres. The new action plan, released in May 2026, was jointly developed by the Arunachal Pradesh Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and WWF-India, to address human-elephant conflict in the state, threats to habitats and analyse whether elephant corridors are well-protected. Data was collected between December 2024 and March 2026. Officials examined elephant habitats where conflict was reported, and where crop or property damage had occurred. Why the altitude record matters According to Aritra Kshettry, who works with WWF-India’s Elephant Conservation Programme (ECP), elephants are not typically found at such high altitudes. The records of elephants at these altitudes gives clues about their movement outside of protected areas which helps predict potential interactions between elephants and humans. According to the action plan, elephant presence and crop damage have been&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Indigenous women build new livelihoods with hive boxes</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indigenous-women-build-new-livelihoods-with-hive-boxes/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indigenous-women-build-new-livelihoods-with-hive-boxes/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jul 2026 13:31:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beekeeping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[honey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[honeybees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollinators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women in agriculture]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/03101916/Sigur_070725_7-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38951</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Food, Indigenous Peoples, Insects, Non-Timber Forest Produce, and Western Ghats]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Neelavathi (37), an Irula woman from Vazhaithottam village in Tamil Nadu&#8217;s Nilgiris district, has had several reasons to celebrate over the past few months — a new occupation, a higher income, and enough money to celebrate the annual festival at her village temple, Mariyamman Kovil. “I have already sold around six litres of honey,” she [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Neelavathi (37), an Irula woman from Vazhaithottam village in Tamil Nadu&#8217;s Nilgiris district, has had several reasons to celebrate over the past few months — a new occupation, a higher income, and enough money to celebrate the annual festival at her village temple, Mariyamman Kovil. “I have already sold around six litres of honey,” she says with pride. “Since I am the beekeeper at home, my family lets me keep the income for my own needs.” Apart from buying new clothes for herself and her kids, Neelavathi could buy two stone dosa griddles with the income from honey sales over time. Nine Irula women from the Sigur Plateau, including Neelavathi, gathered in a small community hall in Vazhaithottam to share with Mongabay-India their experiences of learning beekeeping. Over the past year, they have been trained to manage bee colonies in hive boxes, grow fruit trees that provide nectar for the bees, and harvest honey — an enterprise that has significantly boosted their household incomes. Women trained on beekeeping as a livelihood In April 2025, UNESCO partnered with the Nilgiris-based non-profit Keystone Foundation to bring its Women for Bees project to India. The Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve was chosen as the programme’s first site in the country, with activities launched across five locations in two states — Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Beekeepers at work in Nilambur, Kerala. In April 2025, UNESCO&#8217;s Women for Bees project debuted in India, at the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, engaging 50 Indigenous women from Sigur, Pillur, Kuzhiyoor, Wayanad&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indigenous-women-build-new-livelihoods-with-hive-boxes/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>When trees replace grasslands, specialist birds lose their habitat</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/when-trees-replace-grasslands-specialist-birds-lose-their-habitat/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/when-trees-replace-grasslands-specialist-birds-lose-their-habitat/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Jul 2026 17:45:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[afforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heavy rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[savanna]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[savannahs]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/02170908/PaddyfieldPipit_SiddhantMhetre_Anthus_Rufulus-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38913</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Climate Change, Extreme Weather Events, Grasslands, Impacts of Climate Change, Plantations, and Plants]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India’s fast disappearing grasslands have long been targeted for afforestation — a practice that encourages tree planting on “degraded” parcels of land. With their vast and open landscapes, savannahs and grasslands are often considered barren land in need of more dense tree cover. But how does converting grassy, arid land to something woody and canopied [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India’s fast disappearing grasslands have long been targeted for afforestation — a practice that encourages tree planting on “degraded” parcels of land. With their vast and open landscapes, savannahs and grasslands are often considered barren land in need of more dense tree cover. But how does converting grassy, arid land to something woody and canopied transform an ecosystem, and the life within it? New research from Maharashtra studies how old-growth savannahs, when planted with trees, changes bird populations and distributions. Grasslands and savannahs are estimated to cover 15-20% of India’s land mass, and yet remain under-researched. The lack of recognition of grassland ecosystems has meant their role in regulating microclimates and hosting endemic biodiversity has largely gone unnoticed. “There are very few studies on dry savannahs in general, and even fewer on the impacts of afforestation on them,” said Abi T. Vanak, Director of the Centre for Policy Design at ATREE and a scholar of India&#8217;s grasslands. The study from Maharashtra compared bird species and abundance across undisturbed savannahs and well-established plantations, creating new evidence for how the impacts of afforestation go beyond just changes to tree cover. It found that afforestation rendered the area uninhabitable for grassland specialist species like the Indian courser — a long-legged bird which scans the grass to forage — and the tawny pipit, which nests on the ground — among a host of others. Instead, bird populations were maintained by an influx of other species better adapted to woody and forested habitats. The shift&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/when-trees-replace-grasslands-specialist-birds-lose-their-habitat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Burning waste is a waste of money</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/burning-waste-is-a-waste-of-money/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/burning-waste-is-a-waste-of-money/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Jul 2026 16:16:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ravleen Kaur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/02130433/AP22119833098845-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38896</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance and Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Delhi and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Environmental Crime, Human Rights, Pollution, and Waste management]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When Rajpal Saini retired from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, he didn’t really plan to spend his golden years battling his former employer. But a waste incineration plant commissioned near his village, by the corporation, has made his life arduous. “We have the entire waste processing mall of Delhi here — a khatta (dumping ground), [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When Rajpal Saini retired from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, he didn’t really plan to spend his golden years battling his former employer. But a waste incineration plant commissioned near his village, by the corporation, has made his life arduous. “We have the entire waste processing mall of Delhi here — a khatta (dumping ground), a hazardous waste disposal site, a composting plant, and a 28 megawatt (MW) waste-to-energy (WTE) plant. And as if all this were not enough, now they have imposed another one (WTE plant) on us,” said Saini, a resident of Sannoth, a village near Bawana at the northwestern edge of Delhi. “The world recognises the value of yoga and breathing in fresh air. But forget about the outdoors; we even have to seal the holes in our doors to avoid the stench. My uncle, who regularly did pranayam (breathing exercises), has been paralysed and bedridden for six years now,” Saini said, whose car is full of posters advocating for the &#8220;right to breathe&#8221;. The construction of the new 3,000 tonnes-per-day (TPD), 30-megawatt WTE plant began in May despite a case before the National Green Tribunal and residents’ protests since December 2024. Situated right next to Munak canal, a significant source of drinking water for Delhi, this new plant will be the capital’s fifth WTE, a city that produces close to 12,000 TPD of waste. The protest site against a new waste incineration plant commissioned in Sannoth, a village at the northwestern edge of Delhi. Construction began&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/burning-waste-is-a-waste-of-money/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Delhi witnesses a travesty of ecological restoration [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/delhi-witnesses-a-travesty-of-ecological-restoration-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/delhi-witnesses-a-travesty-of-ecological-restoration-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jul 2026 16:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ankila HiremathVikram Iyer]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restoration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/01141654/2_EarthMovers-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38879</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Delhi and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Environment, Forestry, Forests, Plantations, Plants, and Reforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Delhi’s Central Ridge, a mosaic of forest and open savannah with patches dominated by species such as dhok (Terminalia pendula), is a landscape that would be a rare gem anywhere. The location of this remnant of the ancient Aravallis — spanning a little over 850 hectares in the heart of a sprawling urban metropolis — [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Delhi’s Central Ridge, a mosaic of forest and open savannah with patches dominated by species such as dhok (Terminalia pendula), is a landscape that would be a rare gem anywhere. The location of this remnant of the ancient Aravallis — spanning a little over 850 hectares in the heart of a sprawling urban metropolis — makes it even more special. Yet, for over a century, it has remained misunderstood and misconstrued. In the early 20th century, the planners of New Delhi sought to create a forested backdrop for the Government House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan). Successive waves of tree planting were carried out, but very few of the introduced trees survived because they were poorly suited to local conditions. The exception was the South American tree Neltuma juliflora (formerly Prosopis juliflora). Better known as vilayati keekar, it is now a widespread invasive alien tree across arid and semi-arid regions of India. Since its introduction to the Central Ridge, it has come to dominate the landscape, along with other invasive species such as gaajar ghaas (Parthenium hysterophorus), lantana (Lantana camara), and subabool (Leucaena leucocephala), which arrived more recently. Delhi&#8217;s Central Ridge in the dry season. Invasive plant species dominate the 850 hectares in the heart of the capital city. Image by Pradip Krishen. What are invasive alien species? Invasive alien species must meet two criteria. First, they must be non-native to a region. Typically, these are species intentionally introduced by people, though some introductions occur inadvertently. In India, many non-native plants originated&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/delhi-witnesses-a-travesty-of-ecological-restoration-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>New camera-trap record confirms caracal presence in Kuno</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/new-camera-trap-record-confirms-caracal-presence-in-kuno/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/new-camera-trap-record-confirms-caracal-presence-in-kuno/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jul 2026 14:55:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caracal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kuno]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/30114032/IMG_0186-e1782883923178-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38850</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Animals, Camera traps, Cats, Conservation, Endangered species, Forests, Grasslands, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Deep inside Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, two camera traps captured a lean wildcat at night. It had long legs, a tawny coat and black ear tufts. This wildcat was a caracal, one of India’s least-seen wild cats. Notably, this caracal was recorded from the same forest landscape where India’s cheetah reintroduction project is underway. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Deep inside Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, two camera traps captured a lean wildcat at night. It had long legs, a tawny coat and black ear tufts. This wildcat was a caracal, one of India’s least-seen wild cats. Notably, this caracal was recorded from the same forest landscape where India’s cheetah reintroduction project is underway. Kuno National Park’s field director Uttam Kumar Sharma noted that in the four years that he has been in the Park, this was the first record of the cat. The forest department is now going through older records to check if caracals had been recorded earlier in Kuno or adjoining areas. Sharma noted that this record may indicate the possibility of local presence. However, more monitoring is needed before drawing a conclusion, he added. Presence, not proof of population Shekhar Kolipaka, who has studied caracal distribution and suitable habitats in India, and is Senior Landscape Developer at Commonland Foundation said the Kuno record should be interpreted carefully. “A single camera-trap photograph confirms the presence of a caracal, but does not indicate the existence of a resident population,” Kolipaka said in a written response to Mongabay-India. However, he added that the record, most likely a dispersing male, is still significant. Continued monitoring, he said, will help determine whether more individuals occur in the landscape and whether the photographed animal establishes residency or continues dispersing. “Like most wild cats, young adults naturally disperse from their birth areas to establish their own territories. Males, in particular, often travel&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/new-camera-trap-record-confirms-caracal-presence-in-kuno/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A cat that is clouded by design</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/a-cat-that-is-clouded-by-design/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/a-cat-that-is-clouded-by-design/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jul 2026 14:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Team Mongabay-India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Clouded leopard]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/23235404/clouded-leopard-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=38785</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Species File]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Deforestation, Ecology, Endangered species, Forests, Himalayas, Hunting, Mammals, and Rainforests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The clouded leopard is a medium-sized wild cat known for its striking, cloud-shaped coat patterns and exceptional climbing skills. It's the only wildcat in the world that can climb down, hang upside down from and hunt in trees.]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Species File: Exploring India&#8217;s biodiversity, one species at a time. Earlier this year in January, camera traps set up in West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve, captured images of the only wildcat in the world that can climb down, hang upside down from and hunt in trees. This cat has striking, cloud-shaped coat patterns that help it camouflage into dense forest habitats and is aptly named, clouded leopard. It was spotted in the region after a gap of two years. The species was also observed along with other small wildcats in a camera trap study published in May 2026 in small community-owned forests in Meghalaya. The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a medium-sized wild cat whose range extends across South and Southeast Asia. It is also an exceptional climber, with a body measuring up to 40-50 inches in size, with as long a tail. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species, the clouded leopard is listed as vulnerable due to its rapidly declining population. Estimates suggest there are only between 3,700-5,580 mature individuals globally. In India, they are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which offers the highest level of legal protection. Its population decline is owed to multifaceted threats, including habitat destruction, targeted hunting, and incidental deaths from snares intended for other animals. There is an urgent need for enhanced transboundary cooperation to safeguard the cat, particularly in regions where habitats and corridors cross international borders. In a story&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/a-cat-that-is-clouded-by-design/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Floods and landslides batter northeast India</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/06/floods-and-landslides-batter-northeast-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/06/floods-and-landslides-batter-northeast-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Jun 2026 15:43:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Climate disaster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disaster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disaster management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flash flood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flooding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heavy rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeast India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rainfall]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/30152319/AP26110309343104-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=38868</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Floods, and Impacts of Climate Change]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Heavy monsoon rains have led to flash floods and landslides across India&#8217;s northeast states, leaving at least three people dead in Arunachal Pradesh, inundating villages in Assam, damaging infrastructure across several states and prompting fresh warnings of more extreme rainfall in the coming days. Arunachal Pradesh was the first to get hit with flash floods [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Heavy monsoon rains have led to flash floods and landslides across India&#8217;s northeast states, leaving at least three people dead in Arunachal Pradesh, inundating villages in Assam, damaging infrastructure across several states and prompting fresh warnings of more extreme rainfall in the coming days. Arunachal Pradesh was the first to get hit with flash floods triggered by intense rainfall striking Keyi Panyor district on June 24, washing away homes, roads and bridges, particularly around the Panyor Hydel Project colony near Yazali. Media reports suggest that thousands of people across 12 of Arunachal Pradesh’s 28 districts have been affected to varying degrees as floods triggered by incessant monsoon rains continued to wreak havoc across the state. The Indian Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police and district authorities have been carrying out rescue operations, using helicopters to reach communities cut off by damaged roads and swollen rivers. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Chief Minister Pema Khandu and assured the state of central assistance. The impact has extended downstream into Assam, where the first major flood wave of the 2026 monsoon has affected more than 22,000 people across six districts (across Assam and Arunachal Pradesh), including Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh. Nearly 100 villages and over 1,600 hectares of agricultural land have been inundated. In Dhemaji, riverbank erosion led to the partial collapse of a railway bridge over the Simen River in Simen Chapari, disrupting train services and isolating several villages. Heavy rainfall has also&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/06/floods-and-landslides-batter-northeast-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Trade liberalisation meets carbon tariffs as India eyes EU market [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/trade-liberalisation-meets-carbon-tariffs-as-india-eyes-eu-market-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/trade-liberalisation-meets-carbon-tariffs-as-india-eyes-eu-market-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Jun 2026 13:19:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Isha SharmaSoutrik Goswami]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steel Industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trade]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/30112819/AP459830664323-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38847</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon emissions, Carbon Finance, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Green Business, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Industry]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The India-European Union Free Trade Agreement was agreed upon in early 2026 after more than two decades of negotiations. Recently, the Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said India and the EU are expected to sign the FTA in December, and it is likely to come into force early next year. The agreement signalled [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The India-European Union Free Trade Agreement was agreed upon in early 2026 after more than two decades of negotiations. Recently, the Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said India and the EU are expected to sign the FTA in December, and it is likely to come into force early next year. The agreement signalled cooperation amid geopolitical tensions, but it also came amid contestation over the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which imposes a tax on the greenhouse gas content of imported goods, which became fully operational in January this year. As the union minister Goyal said, the FTA will give India the opportunity to increase exports to European countries, but export-oriented industries will also face pressure to reduce the emission intensity of their exports to comply with CBAM. The opposing impacts of tariff liberalisation and carbon tariffs on exports call for a closer look at the interaction between the CBAM and the FTA, especially in the Indian iron and steel sector, which remains one of the most exposed to the CBAM. It raises the question: how will the interaction between the FTA and the CBAM impact India&#8217;s export opportunities compared to those of its competitors? Moreover, is India’s long-term export competitiveness increasingly being tied to its industrial emissions? Climate action or trade-protectionism CBAM currently targets six carbon-intensive sectors, including iron and steel. These sectors account for around 10% of India’s exports to the EU and about 1.64% of total Indian exports. However, the EU is planning a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/trade-liberalisation-meets-carbon-tariffs-as-india-eyes-eu-market-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>India&#8217;s banks are sitting on a heat risk they have barely begun to price [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/indias-banks-are-sitting-on-a-heat-risk-they-have-barely-begun-to-price-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/indias-banks-are-sitting-on-a-heat-risk-they-have-barely-begun-to-price-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Jun 2026 13:21:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Namita Vikas]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adaptation finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat impacts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Just transition finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Microfinance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reserve Bank of India]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/29120153/AP26161536934509-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38831</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance and Decoding Heat]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Extreme Weather Events, and Impacts of Climate Change]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Extreme heat is emerging as a material and measurable risk category for India’s banking and financial sector. Heatwaves in 2025 reduced lender collection efficiency in the June quarter across field-dependent loan portfolios. There are similar projections for 2026 that suggest a further decline due to extreme heat across northern and central India. Extreme heat cuts [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Extreme heat is emerging as a material and measurable risk category for India’s banking and financial sector. Heatwaves in 2025 reduced lender collection efficiency in the June quarter across field-dependent loan portfolios. There are similar projections for 2026 that suggest a further decline due to extreme heat across northern and central India. Extreme heat cuts working hours and labour productivity, disrupts supply chains, raises operating costs for borrowers and ultimately, impacts repayment capacity. When collection slows, lenders themselves face a cash crunch. It forces banks to seek costlier short-term funding to meet their own obligations. Branch closures, staff limitations in high-heat zones and increased pressure on physical assets add an operational layer to a substantive credit and liquidity problem. The borrower segments most exposed to heat stress include microfinance clients, agricultural households, gold-loan borrowers and self-employed workers in the informal economy. They also happen to be the most financially vulnerable, given that their incomes depend heavily on physical mobility and outdoor labour, both of which are significantly constrained during periods of extreme heat. Reduced interaction between borrowers and field agents, fewer site visits, and disruptions across local demand and supply chains together contribute to repayment delays, constrained access to credit, and rising borrowing costs across rural and informal markets. One happens at the household level where daily wage workers and farmers see their incomes fall when extreme heat forces them to work fewer hours or damages their crops, making it harder to keep up with loan repayments. Second, at the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/indias-banks-are-sitting-on-a-heat-risk-they-have-barely-begun-to-price-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Night shifts help brick kiln workers avoid peak heat, not its consequences</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/night-shifts-help-brick-kiln-workers-avoid-peak-heat-not-its-consequences/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/night-shifts-help-brick-kiln-workers-avoid-peak-heat-not-its-consequences/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Jun 2026 15:12:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shivam Bhardwaj]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brick industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brick kiln]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/26113356/reena-working-at-site-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38821</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Decoding Heat]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Extreme Weather Events, Health impacts, Human Rights, Impacts of Climate Change, and Industry]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It was 3:00 a.m. on May 22. Crickets chirped in an open field near Kurka village in Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh. However, the workday had started two hours ago for Reena Kashyap, 30, and her husband, Jagdish Kashyap who were moulding bricks under a solar-powered light. &#8220;We are now working through the night because it [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It was 3:00 a.m. on May 22. Crickets chirped in an open field near Kurka village in Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh. However, the workday had started two hours ago for Reena Kashyap, 30, and her husband, Jagdish Kashyap who were moulding bricks under a solar-powered light. &#8220;We are now working through the night because it is impossible to stay here in the scorching afternoon heat,” she said. The couple, who mould bricks for Adarsh Brick Industry, went to sleep at 9:00 p.m. and woke up at 12:30 a.m. They planned to continue working until 11:00 a.m. “After that, I have to bathe, wash clothes, cook, and feed the children. Then in the evening, we stack the bricks and prepare the mud for the next day; the entire day is gone,&#8221; she said. Jagdish added, &#8220;During summer, we barely manage four hours of sleep a day. It is so hot during the day that sleeping is impossible. We don&#8217;t have any facilities like fans, coolers, or electricity here ,at the kiln.&#8221; The couple migrated from the village of Bujhia Jagir to the brick kiln site in Kurka in the same tehsil, Meerganj, in January 2026. They live here with their four children in a temporary shelter built of bricks and raw mud with a tin roof. There is no ventilation or electricity. &#8220;We try to sleep for one to two hours during the day, but it bakes inside. It is impossible to sleep; the entire body feels restless,&#8221; said Reena, who&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/night-shifts-help-brick-kiln-workers-avoid-peak-heat-not-its-consequences/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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