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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/by/sarah-brown/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:13:54 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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					<title>What India’s ethanol push can learn from Brazil’s long ethanol journey</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/what-indias-ethanol-push-can-learn-from-brazils-long-ethanol-journey/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/what-indias-ethanol-push-can-learn-from-brazils-long-ethanol-journey/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Jul 2026 14:30:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bioenergy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ethanol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[petrol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[petroleum]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/16123533/F5CB3E5C-80A5-409A-AE91-835210F8FA3C_1_105_c-e1784192843453-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Alternative energy, Biofuels, Clean Energy, Energy, Fossil Fuels, and Green Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This is the first part in a series comparing India and Brazil’s ethanol transitions. Brazil has run on ethanol for decades, with drivers choosing from different blends of ethanol in petrol at fuel stations. India is moving through E20 as the default fuel blend, with far less consumer choice. This story looks at what that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This is the first part in a series comparing India and Brazil’s ethanol transitions. Brazil has run on ethanol for decades, with drivers choosing from different blends of ethanol in petrol at fuel stations. India is moving through E20 as the default fuel blend, with far less consumer choice. This story looks at what that difference means for vehicle owners in both countries. At Posto Dallas, a fuel station in northern Brazil’s Belém city, a car pulls in. The driver checks the price board, then picks a fuel. The 27-year-old station attendant, John, sees this happen all day. “Mostly flex-fuel vehicles come here,” he said. “People see the price and ask us to fill the fuel in their tanks accordingly.” Posto Dallas fuel stations are supplied by the state-owned energy company Petrobras and operate under the brand. In Brazil, customers can choose between different percentages of ethanol blends or pure petrol depending on the price and usage. Most cars sold here are flex-fuel vehicles, built to run on different petrol-ethanol blends. Brazil has offered this choice for decades. In another part of the world, nearly 15,000 km away, at a petrol pump in Bhopal’s Katara Hills, the scene looks similar. Vehicles come and go, attendants fill tanks, customers decide fast. But one thing is different: the choice on offer. In India, the government made 20% ethanol blended petrol, called E20, the default fuel across all fuel stations under its ethanol blending programme. For Nicola Pamplona, a vehicle owner and a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/what-indias-ethanol-push-can-learn-from-brazils-long-ethanol-journey/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>A machine learning-powered chatbot to guide tree plantation in the Himalayas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-machine-learning-powered-chatbot-to-guide-tree-plantation-in-the-himalayas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-machine-learning-powered-chatbot-to-guide-tree-plantation-in-the-himalayas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Jul 2026 13:26:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AI for Good]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/15222318/Rajiv-Gandhi-Van-Samvardhan-Yojana_Mahila-Mandal-e1784134737669-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39318</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh and Himalayas]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Environment, Forests, Himalayas, Plantations, Plants, Reforestation, Technology, Technology and Conservation, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 2022, Pushpendra Rana and his colleagues projected using a machine learning model that Himachal Pradesh would spend $100 million (approximately ₹95 crores) between 2020 and 2030 on planting trees that were unlikely to survive. They published the findings in the journal World Development. But Rana, a serving Indian Forest Officer, didn’t just stop at [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 2022, Pushpendra Rana and his colleagues projected using a machine learning model that Himachal Pradesh would spend $100 million (approximately ₹95 crores) between 2020 and 2030 on planting trees that were unlikely to survive. They published the findings in the journal World Development. But Rana, a serving Indian Forest Officer, didn’t just stop at drawing attention to the wasteful tree-planting practices in his state. Over the next four years, he focused on developing a restoration decision-support tool to aid in more successful tree planting in the country. Rana partnered with RootIQ Labs Pvt. Ltd., a New Delhi-based artificial intelligence company, to develop WhereToPlant Bot, a chatbot that can predict the survival probability of saplings in a given location based on different climatic and environmental parameters. This chatbot can be accessed by anyone with a Telegram account. Once they share their location pin, it uses machine-learning models to quickly respond with a survival probability score and a star rating for any and all plants for the particular planting site, ranging from ‘no chance’ to ‘high chance’. The chatbot is currently exclusive to Himachal Pradesh, where it has been functional for over a year. The state forest department, mahila mandals (women collectives), yuvak mandals (youth groups) and self-help groups have taken its guidance to plant saplings, Rana told Mongabay-India. More than 200 women&#8217;s groups and 50 youth clubs used the tool in the field. DFOs and restoration practitioners as part of the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana (US$10.14 million community-driven plantation&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-machine-learning-powered-chatbot-to-guide-tree-plantation-in-the-himalayas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Finless porpoises are disappearing before they are counted</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/finless-porpoises-are-disappearing-before-they-are-counted/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/finless-porpoises-are-disappearing-before-they-are-counted/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Jul 2026 11:20:28 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mansab Sayyad]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dolphins]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/15233911/Image-4-Imran-Samad-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39334</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Goa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Extinction, Oceans, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Arabian Sea was listless as we headed out one morning to spot Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, famously extroverted and known for their acrobatics. A needlefish darted across the surface, pirouetting over the chop as the sun beat down on the deck, turning the railings hot to the touch. When you stare at the ocean [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Arabian Sea was listless as we headed out one morning to spot Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, famously extroverted and known for their acrobatics. A needlefish darted across the surface, pirouetting over the chop as the sun beat down on the deck, turning the railings hot to the touch. When you stare at the ocean long enough, your mind starts to play tricks: every shifting shadow looks like a flipper, every cresting wave, a dorsal fin. Then a shape appeared. To my untrained eye, it looked like a dolphin. But Imran Samad, a Ph.D. researcher at the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, whose work focuses on marine megafauna bycatch in India’s multi-gear fisheries, leaned forward over the roar of the outboard engine and said, “It&#8217;s a porpoise.” It was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment. The animal surfaced for barely a second before vanishing back into the brown water. And that, as Samad would explain over the course of the morning, is precisely the problem — not just for researchers trying to spot them, but for the conservation of a species that most of India does not know exists in these waters. An animal built for invisibility The Indo-Pacific finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) is one of the smallest cetaceans in Indian waters, measuring just 1.5 to 1.9 metres in length and weighing 30 to 45 kilograms. It belongs to the family Phocoenidae — an entirely different lineage from dolphins — and the differences run deeper than the obvious&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/finless-porpoises-are-disappearing-before-they-are-counted/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Government proposes increasing clearance validity for ports and harbours</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/government-proposes-increasing-clearance-validity-for-ports-and-harbours/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/government-proposes-increasing-clearance-validity-for-ports-and-harbours/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Jul 2026 15:44:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[port]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ship]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/15125227/AP25160345655791-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39305</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Environment, Environmental Politics, Industry, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Union Environment Ministry has proposed “rationalising” the validity of environmental clearances for port and harbour projects in India, increasing it from the current 10 year period to a 15 year period. In addition to increasing the validity of the environmental clearance, the draft notification also proposes increasing the renewal period upon the completion of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Union Environment Ministry has proposed “rationalising” the validity of environmental clearances for port and harbour projects in India, increasing it from the current 10 year period to a 15 year period. In addition to increasing the validity of the environmental clearance, the draft notification also proposes increasing the renewal period upon the completion of the clearance’s tenure, from one year to five years. The proposal was made in a draft notification issued on May 20. According to the draft notification, the reason for increasing the clearance validity is because of the “high gestation period due to various issues, which are often beyond the control of the project proponent.” Ports and harbours can take over a decade from construction to commercial or full-scale operation. India has 12 major ports and 217 non-major ports. In the 2025-2026 financial year, India’s ports collectively handled 915 million tonnes of cargo, according to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. “Often long gestation is symptomatic of unaddressed local grievances. Instead of addressing the problem by letting the locals air their grievances, and letting the project owners offer satisfactory solutions, the ministry of proposing a blanket extension,” said Meenakshi Kapoor, an independent researcher who tracks changes to India’s environmental clearance process. A 2010 report on major and non major ports along India’s coastline found that out of 181 notified non major ports at the time, at least 41 (23%) had reported environmental concerns and 32 (18%) reported protests on social grounds. “A reapplication for EC&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/government-proposes-increasing-clearance-validity-for-ports-and-harbours/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>The insect that makes forests sing</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/the-insect-that-makes-forests-sing/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/the-insect-that-makes-forests-sing/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Jul 2026 14:23:13 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Team Mongabay-India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[cicada]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/15003932/cicada-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=39292</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Species File]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Forests, Himalayas, Insects, Rainforests, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Cicadas are insects known for their loud, distinctive calls and long underground life cycles. It is only when they are ready to metamorphose into an adult that they emerge from the ground.]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Species File: Exploring India&#8217;s biodiversity, one species at a time. In a Meghalaya village, the World Cup isn’t the only event on a four-year cycle. The forests, too, come alive with the return of the niangtaser cicadas (Chremistica ribhoi). Known for their four-year life cycle, these insects’ return coincides with the football World Cup, giving them the nickname ‘World Cup cicadas’. Cicadas (Cicadoidea) are insects belonging to the order Hemiptera, known for their loud, distinctive calls and long underground life cycles. It is only when they are ready to metamorphose into an adult that they emerge from the ground. The most defining feature of cicadas lies in the sound they make, produced exclusively by males, who sing to attract female partners. Their calls, produced by repetitive vibrations in the tymbal membrane on their abdomen result in their characteristic sound, which can reach over 100 decibels. Each species has its own specific call. The collective sound of cicadas also acts as a “very good indicator of forest health.” Despite scientists discovering new species of cicadas in the Western Ghats and northeast India in recent years, these insects remain understudied. While cicadas as a group are not collectively listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, some individual species are in the least concern or near threatened categories. In India, the cicadas are not listed under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, lacking formal legal protection. For ecologists, cicadas are more than just sources of sound. They play an&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/the-insect-that-makes-forests-sing/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Tunnel landslide raises fresh questions over mountain development</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tunnel-landslide-raises-fresh-questions-over-mountain-development/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tunnel-landslide-raises-fresh-questions-over-mountain-development/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Jul 2026 16:09:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/14124059/the-incidentsite-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39279</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, and Western Ghats]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Less than a month before the second anniversary of the 2024 Wayanad landslides which fundamentally altered public understanding of landslide risks in the country and killed 298 people while leaving many more injured and homeless, another mountain slope collapsed in Wayanad district of Kerala. This time, the slip occurred at the exit section of the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Less than a month before the second anniversary of the 2024 Wayanad landslides which fundamentally altered public understanding of landslide risks in the country and killed 298 people while leaving many more injured and homeless, another mountain slope collapsed in Wayanad district of Kerala. This time, the slip occurred at the exit section of the under-construction Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi twin tunnel project. On July 7, 2026, following intense monsoon rain, a massive slope failure hit the tunnel project near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi, near Meppadi. The incident was initially described as a mudslide because a large mass of waterlogged excavated earth swept through the construction site. It was later identified by experts and officials as a landslide that originated higher up the slope, with the accumulated tunnel spoil adding to its destructive force. The collapse buried workers, vehicles and equipment, killing seven people. Two others remained missing after days of search operations. Investigations in progress Investigators are also examining whether the failure was aggravated by the contractor&#8217;s alleged non-compliance with directions to remove the excavated soil accumulated near the site before the monsoon. As per the reading on the hyper-local rain gauge at the research institute, Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology near the Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel corridor, the area received about 260 mm of rainfall over the preceding three days, saturating the already unstable hillside before the collapse. According to the district administration, the tragedy unfolded when earth, boulders and debris crashed onto the construction site, trapping workers engaged in the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tunnel-landslide-raises-fresh-questions-over-mountain-development/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>The neem patent case and India&#8217;s next battle over traditional knowledge [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-neem-patent-case-and-indias-next-battle-over-traditional-knowledge-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-neem-patent-case-and-indias-next-battle-over-traditional-knowledge-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Jul 2026 14:36:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Deepanjana SahaG. RavikanthSarvesh J.P.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional grains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/14101205/AP26003660066972-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39258</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Community based conservation, Ecology, Technology, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 1994, a U.S. company and the United States Department of Agriculture secured a European patent for a method of using neem extracts to control fungi. The neem tree, however, was not a discovery. Across the Indian subcontinent, it had long been used in traditional medicine, agriculture, and furniture making, with its pesticidal properties documented [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[In 1994, a U.S. company and the United States Department of Agriculture secured a European patent for a method of using neem extracts to control fungi. The neem tree, however, was not a discovery. Across the Indian subcontinent, it had long been used in traditional medicine, agriculture, and furniture making, with its pesticidal properties documented in Sanskrit texts and embedded in everyday agricultural practice. After a six-year legal challenge led by an Indian organisation named the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology, supported by international allies, the patent was revoked in 2000. Five years after that, the decision was upheld on appeal, with the board ruling that the method lacked novelty and an inventive step, given its long-documented use in India. Now, three decades later, the neem case looks less like an aberration than a template. The frontier has moved from isolated plant compounds to the systems-level ecological knowledge that smallholder and Adivasi communities have developed over generations. The next dispute may involve a soil microbiome product, an agroecological decision-support tool, or a machine-learning model trained on data from traditional preparations. India&#8217;s current legal architecture is not designed to respond to it. Why is this knowledge different? Most public discussion of biopiracy still focuses on the misappropriation of specific biological resources: a plant compound, a seed variety, or a fermentation culture. The legal response has focused correspondingly on access and benefit-sharing rules, prior art databases, and geographical indication protections. These instruments work, imperfectly, for that kind of theft. The&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-neem-patent-case-and-indias-next-battle-over-traditional-knowledge-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>The insect that syncs up with the football World Cup</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-insect-that-syncs-up-with-the-football-world-cup/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-insect-that-syncs-up-with-the-football-world-cup/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Jul 2026 14:12:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cicada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insects]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/14110800/World-Cup-cicada-insect_-scaled-e1784008437972-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39269</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam and Meghalaya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Elephants, Forests, Insects, Plants, Reserved Forest, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As the football world cup began in the United States, Canada and Mexico this year, in one part of India, an insect emerged, as it does, every four years, in sync with the sporting event. However, this year, it was found beyond its typical home range. Aptly named the World Cup cicada, the insect, Chremistica [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As the football world cup began in the United States, Canada and Mexico this year, in one part of India, an insect emerged, as it does, every four years, in sync with the sporting event. However, this year, it was found beyond its typical home range. Aptly named the World Cup cicada, the insect, Chremistica ribhoi, has been recorded in Meghalaya in Northeast India. This year though it was spotted in the neighbouring state of Assam during a field assessment around the Rani Reserve Forest conducted by wildlife biologist Pulakeswar Basumatary, with Langtuk Terang, Assistant Professor, Pragjyotish College, Mann Kumar Thapa, a research scholar at Royal Global University, M.Sc. student Lakhinandan Dutta and butterfly researcher Rajat Joshi. Basumatary told Mongabay-India, “Until now, Chremistica ribhoi was known only from Saiden village and Lailad, near Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district. The 2026 sighting across the Rani-Garbhanga-Basistha Reserve Forest is the first record of the species in Assam, and a real extension of its known range.” However, while it has been scientifically recorded now, the local communities always knew of the cicada in Assam. “The Rabha community of Satargaon, in the Rani area (of Assam), say they had been seeing this cicada before the year 2000. That&#8217;s earlier than the first scientific record from Meghalaya. The species was almost certainly always here, just undocumented,” said Basumatary. Periodical cicadas are among nature’s most precise timekeepers. Their mass emergence is triggered largely by soil temperature and humidity cues built up over years underground.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-insect-that-syncs-up-with-the-football-world-cup/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Fishers, naturalists worry about the impacts of turning a coastal wetland into a reservoir</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-coastal-wetland-could-soon-become-a-reservoir-to-meet-a-citys-water-demand/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-coastal-wetland-could-soon-become-a-reservoir-to-meet-a-citys-water-demand/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jul 2026 17:18:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Smitha T.K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban wetlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wetlands]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/13161843/4-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39239</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Coast, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Fishing, Floods, Habitat Loss, Lakes, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Narayanan R. stood on the muddy bund of the Great Salt Lake, watching a group of flamingoes pick their way across the shallows. He remembered standing in the same spot as a 10-year-old, knee-deep in water — the day his father showed him how to fish. &#8220;The flamingoes may not come next season,” he said. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Narayanan R. stood on the muddy bund of the Great Salt Lake, watching a group of flamingoes pick their way across the shallows. He remembered standing in the same spot as a 10-year-old, knee-deep in water — the day his father showed him how to fish. &#8220;The flamingoes may not come next season,” he said. “These pools will dry soon. A few hundred metres away, Gowriamma waded through the shallow waters of the lake, her fingers sifting through the mud for shrimp. “Everything depends on these small pools. We know this water through the mud and the thorns.&#8221; Located between Nemmeli and Kovalam in Chennai, the Great Salt Lake also known as Kovalam-Nemmeli backwaters, is a coastal wetland that spans 5,000 acres. The Tamil Nadu government plans to convert this coastal wetland into Chennai’s sixth drinking water reservoir: the Mamallan reservoir. Chennai currently supplies between 700 and 800 million litres per day (MLD) of water. The demand already exceeds 1,100 MLD and is projected to cross 2,500 MLD by 2035, according to the project&#8217;s environmental impact assessment (EIA). The Mamallan reservoir aims to supply 170 MLD for the city’s needs. The reservoir is designed to store 1.65 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) in a single filling and an annual storage of 2.25 TMC. However, for Narayanan, Gowriamma and many fishing families in the area, losing the Great Salt Lake means losing the only world they have ever known. “Who are we to change the contours drawn by nature?” Narayanan asks.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-coastal-wetland-could-soon-become-a-reservoir-to-meet-a-citys-water-demand/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>India’s heat response is missing public health logic [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indias-heat-response-is-missing-public-health-logic-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indias-heat-response-is-missing-public-health-logic-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jul 2026 14:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Purvi Patel]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public health]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/13120321/AP24185569844799-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39219</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Health impacts, and Human Rights]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Every summer, as temperatures rise, Heat Action Plans are invoked, labour woes are highlighted, and mortality counts are contested. Yet, nothing changes in the long run. The central question: Are we adequately protecting people’s health? remains conspicuously unaddressed. It is not for lack of evidence. The failure, repeated every year, lies in failure to translate [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Every summer, as temperatures rise, Heat Action Plans are invoked, labour woes are highlighted, and mortality counts are contested. Yet, nothing changes in the long run. The central question: Are we adequately protecting people’s health? remains conspicuously unaddressed. It is not for lack of evidence. The failure, repeated every year, lies in failure to translate health science into coherent strategy and actions. Across surveillance, research, intervention design, implementation, and governance, health science and public-health principles are often overlooked, distorted, or lost in translation. The quantification trap Expecting public health surveillance to fully account for every heat-related illness (HRI) before mounting a response is a fundamental misunderstanding. First, surveillance systems, by continuously gathering data of selected serious, preventable, and reliably reportable health conditions, are meant to detect signals in time to trigger action. The goal is situational awareness, not a census. As such, the National Heat-Related Illness and Death Surveillance (NHRIDS) focuses on capturing heatstroke, the most severe heat-related illness, in near-real time. Secondly, India&#8217;s heat surveillance carries structural limitations. Reporting still depends on manual data entry, which is inherently prone to underreporting. Additionally, unlike malaria or tuberculosis, there are no confirmatory tests for heat-related illnesses to add diagnostic certainty. High-income countries bypass this technologically by extracting syndromic data from electronic health records, and still suffer from undercounting. India&#8217;s digital health mission is years behind reaching that level of modernisation. As such, extending surveillance reporting to all heat-related illnesses in our current system adds noise and burden rather than actionable insights. Epidemiologically,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indias-heat-response-is-missing-public-health-logic-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Why looking at trees is a type of rebellion [Book Review]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/why-looking-at-trees-is-a-type-of-rebellion-book-review/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/why-looking-at-trees-is-a-type-of-rebellion-book-review/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jul 2026 12:16:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aarushi Agrawal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trees outside forests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban trees]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/13102344/2560px-hill-mynah-28gracula-religiosa29-leaving-its-nest-28806409492329-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39207</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Forests, Plants, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[According to an analysis by Down to Earth of the environment ministry&#8217;s advisory committee records, more than 2.8 million trees, on forest land, were approved for felling or recorded as felled across India between July 2023 and May 2026. About 90% of this felling has happened because of mining, hydropower and rehabilitation projects. Where efforts [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[According to an analysis by Down to Earth of the environment ministry&#8217;s advisory committee records, more than 2.8 million trees, on forest land, were approved for felling or recorded as felled across India between July 2023 and May 2026. About 90% of this felling has happened because of mining, hydropower and rehabilitation projects. Where efforts are being made to increase green cover in the country, we are starkly falling short. A recent study published in the journal Environmental Research Communications, which examines eight major government policies and programmes and their impact on tree cover, finds that only one showed positive associations with tree cover. Essentially, most government efforts are ill-informed and falling short. The more we consume news about this war against trees, the harder we fight. Until we can’t anymore. Until we’re exhausted and depleted. Writer and wildlife scientist T.R. Shankar Raman’s book The Trees of My Country: A Natural History of India in 50 Trees, with illustrations by Manali Patil, is a balm for those tired times. The book doesn’t try to advocate for trees or talk about their functionality and importance to human life. It doesn’t talk about why trees are needed and all the bad that will happen if trees are gone. It doesn’t make excuses on their behalf. The tactics tree lovers normally use to try to get the unaffected to care about trees are all thrown out the window. Here, trees deserve to exist because they are living beings. That’s reason enough. In not&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/why-looking-at-trees-is-a-type-of-rebellion-book-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Petition accuses Wildlife Board Committee of rubber-stamping diversions with &#8216;no application of mind’</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/petition-accuses-wildlife-board-committee-of-rubber-stamping-diversions-with-no-application-of-mind/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/petition-accuses-wildlife-board-committee-of-rubber-stamping-diversions-with-no-application-of-mind/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jul 2026 17:01:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/10134024/AP22207426672059-scaled-e1783671210988-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39179</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Deforestation, Environment, Environmental Politics, Forests, Habitat Loss, Industry, Logging, Natural Resources, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A group of former forest officials, conservationists, and researchers have censured the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and a statutory body under it for approving development projects within protected areas with “scant ecological and scientific evidence” and “no application of mind.” A public interest litigation filed by the group in the Delhi High Court says [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A group of former forest officials, conservationists, and researchers have censured the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and a statutory body under it for approving development projects within protected areas with “scant ecological and scientific evidence” and “no application of mind.” A public interest litigation filed by the group in the Delhi High Court says the Standing Committee under the NBWL approved 97% of projects between 2014 and 2026, indicating a lack of “processual rigour” which led to the diversion of at least 95,724 hectares of forest land. The allegation comes amid a spate of changes made to national environmental norms to favour the “ease of doing business” — a stated goal of the incumbent BJP government. The petitioners include four retired Indian Forest Service officers, led by Prakriti Srivastava as well as eminent conservationists like M.K. Ranjitsinh, who played an instrumental role in drafting the Wildlife Protection Act, India’s primary wildlife protection law. The petition alleges the National Board for Wildlife — chaired by the Prime Minister — and its Standing Committee — chaired by the Union Environment Minister — acted with “total disregard of its (sic) constitutional duties and in violation of the very intent and purpose for which they were statutorily created.” A representative of Bhupender Yadav, Union Environment Minister and chairperson of the NBWL Standing Committee, declined to comment. The National Board for Wildlife was created in 2003 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to advise central and state governments on issues pertaining to wildlife. These&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/petition-accuses-wildlife-board-committee-of-rubber-stamping-diversions-with-no-application-of-mind/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>In high altitude soils, microbes may be limiting the warming they trigger</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/in-high-altitude-soils-microbes-may-be-limiting-the-warming-they-trigger/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/in-high-altitude-soils-microbes-may-be-limiting-the-warming-they-trigger/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jul 2026 13:17:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lekha Bandopadhyay]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/10105814/Tsomoriri_Vegetation-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39164</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Ladakh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Science, Ecology, Environment, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Amid the mountain folds of eastern Ladakh’s Changthang plateau lies Tso Moriri, the highest Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance. Part of a Trans-Himalayan lake-desert ecosystem, the lake remains frozen for nearly one-third of the year and is surrounded by barren hills, broken only by small patches of green meadows and marshes along its northern and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Amid the mountain folds of eastern Ladakh’s Changthang plateau lies Tso Moriri, the highest Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance. Part of a Trans-Himalayan lake-desert ecosystem, the lake remains frozen for nearly one-third of the year and is surrounded by barren hills, broken only by small patches of green meadows and marshes along its northern and south-western shores. These high-altitude ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to climate warming. As summer arrives, Tso Moriri and the surrounding landscape begin to thaw, activating native microbes that can accelerate warming by releasing greenhouse gases. A recent study led by Wriddhiman Ghosh, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Bose Institute, Kolkata, explored this process, hypothesising that as cold-adapted microbes become more active, they supply native methanogens — the methane-producing microbes — with compounds such as carbon dioxide and acetate. These compounds fuel methanogenesis, the final stage in the breakdown of organic matter, during which methanogens produce methane and carbon dioxide. This creates a microbe-driven positive feedback loop: warming stimulates microbial activity, which releases more greenhouse gases, leading to further warming. The study set out to determine how strong this feedback could become. Cold-adapted microbes While deserts are ideal habitats for oligotrophic microbes that survive in nutrient-poor soil, the study focused on high-throughput copiotrophic microbes that thrive in nutrient-rich habitats. Copiotrophic microbes consume significantly larger amounts of complex organic matter and release plenty of simple organic matter into the environment. Commenting on the choice of microbes for the study, Raju Biswas, a microbial ecologist and postdoctoral research associate&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/in-high-altitude-soils-microbes-may-be-limiting-the-warming-they-trigger/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>As El Niño develops, India turns to coal to offset lower hydropower</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/as-el-nino-develops-india-turns-to-coal-to-offset-lower-hydropower/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/as-el-nino-develops-india-turns-to-coal-to-offset-lower-hydropower/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jul 2026 10:32:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[coal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[El Niño]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat wave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heatwave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hydropower]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[southwest monsoon]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/10101122/AP16141031791324-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=39160</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Climate Science, Coal, Dams, Energy, Extreme Weather Events, Fossil Fuels, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Amidst a rise in electricity demand driven by warmer conditions in June, hydropower generation has declined, increasing India&#8217;s reliance on coal-fired power. The trend could intensify if El Niño conditions strengthen during the southwest monsoon. An analysis published by S&#38;P Global, an energy market intelligence firm, on July 3 said that India&#8217;s average hydropower generation [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Amidst a rise in electricity demand driven by warmer conditions in June, hydropower generation has declined, increasing India&#8217;s reliance on coal-fired power. The trend could intensify if El Niño conditions strengthen during the southwest monsoon. An analysis published by S&amp;P Global, an energy market intelligence firm, on July 3 said that India&#8217;s average hydropower generation in June declined by 6.3 aGW (average gigawatt) from a year earlier, even as average electricity demand increased by 24.3 aGW. The shortfall was largely offset by a 20.7 aGW increase in coal-fired generation, while solar and wind generation rose by a combined 9.4 aGW. The trend is not confined to India. According to the S&amp;P Global analysis, Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Malaysia have also witnessed lower hydropower generation. However, India and Vietnam together accounted for nearly 80% of the regional decline in hydropower generation, making them the most affected countries in Asia. “The June decline (in hydropower generation) is consistent with the expected impact of El Niño on rainfall patterns and reservoir inflows across Asia,” the analysis said and added that hydropower generation could remain below normal if El Niño conditions persist through the summer months. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and several international weather agencies have projected the development of El Niño conditions during the southwest monsoon season. During a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister&#8217;s Office on July 6, IMD officials said weak to moderate El Niño conditions are expected in July and August. Meanwhile, prolonged heatwave conditions across&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/as-el-nino-develops-india-turns-to-coal-to-offset-lower-hydropower/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/as-el-nino-develops-india-turns-to-coal-to-offset-lower-hydropower/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Watershed management improves livelihoods in drought-prone village</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/effective-watershed-management-improves-livelihoods-in-drought-prone-village/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/effective-watershed-management-improves-livelihoods-in-drought-prone-village/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Jul 2026 15:02:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vinaya Kurtkoti]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[watershed]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/09143228/A-cement-naala-baandh-in-Kiraksal-constructed-around-2017-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39140</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Community based conservation, Drought, Extreme Weather Events, Groundwater, Villages, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Amol Katkar was a college student in 2002 when Kiraksal experienced a terrible drought. “I remember children roaming from village to village on foot or on their cycles in search of drinking water. Cattle camps were set up and farmers were compelled to leave their homes to stay with their cattle in neighbouring villages,” shared [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Amol Katkar was a college student in 2002 when Kiraksal experienced a terrible drought. “I remember children roaming from village to village on foot or on their cycles in search of drinking water. Cattle camps were set up and farmers were compelled to leave their homes to stay with their cattle in neighbouring villages,” shared Katkar, sarpanch of Kiraksal from 2015 to 2018. Kiraksal is a village located approximately 75 km east of Satara headquarters in Maharashtra’s Maan taluka and covers about 18 sq km of the Deccan Plateau terrain. The semi-arid climate here, with low average annual rainfall (300-500 mm), and weathered basalt, known locally as “khadak”, makes it a challenging landscape for agriculture. History repeated itself in 2012, when Maan taluka was again declared drought-hit by the Maharashtra government. “There was a severe drought, and Maan, Atpadi, and Sangola talukas were among the worst affected,” recalls Avinash Pol, Chief Advisor at the Paani Foundation. As before, Maan taluka was heavily dependent on tankers and farmers were once again forced to leave their homes and settle in cattle camps. It was at this crucial time that Pol visited Kiraksal, conducted a gram sabha, and advised Katkar (who was a gram panchayat member at the time) and a few other villagers on watershed management. Kiraksal village in Satara, Maharashtra, with its semi-arid conditions and low rainfall, has experienced severe droughts. In the last decade or so, local government bodies and citizens have banded together to improve watershed management. Image by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/effective-watershed-management-improves-livelihoods-in-drought-prone-village/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/effective-watershed-management-improves-livelihoods-in-drought-prone-village/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<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>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<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>
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						<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>
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					<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>
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					<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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			</channel>
</rss>