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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/by/tanvi-deshpande/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:55:11 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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				<item>
					<title>Rising sugarcane yields coexist with climate, water risks in semi-arid India</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/rising-sugarcane-yields-coexist-with-climate-water-risks-in-semi-arid-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/rising-sugarcane-yields-coexist-with-climate-water-risks-in-semi-arid-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jul 2026 13:24:28 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/23122529/AP20014192009835-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39553</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Drought, and Food]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sugarcane cultivation across parts of India’s Deccan Plateau is becoming more productive. But, it is also becoming more vulnerable to climate variability, a new long-term study finds. Sugarcane has long shaped India’s rural economy. It powers sugar mills, supports ethanol and bioenergy production, and sustains millions of farmers. But the crop is also at the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sugarcane cultivation across parts of India’s Deccan Plateau is becoming more productive. But, it is also becoming more vulnerable to climate variability, a new long-term study finds. Sugarcane has long shaped India’s rural economy. It powers sugar mills, supports ethanol and bioenergy production, and sustains millions of farmers. But the crop is also at the centre of mounting concerns over water use, particularly in semi-arid regions facing recurrent droughts and groundwater stress. The study analysed 22 years of sugarcane production trends across five districts in Maharashtra and Karnataka to understand how cultivation, yields and production patterns have changed under varying climatic conditions. “We noticed that sugarcane cultivation in Maharashtra and Karnataka was increasingly being affected by climatic variability, even though it remains one of the most important economic activities across the Deccan Plateau,” says Krishna Kumar from the Department of Applied Science and Humanities at MIT-ADT University, Pune, and one of the study’s researchers. Tracking sugarcane trends across climate zones Sugarcane production trends in India have been studied extensively at national and state levels, but long-term district-level analyses incorporating weather variability remain limited. “The main concern was to pin down how climate variability impacts agricultural production in water-limited sugarcane systems,” adds Kumar. “This kind of insight matters a lot for creating climate resilient agricultural policies and planning better infrastructure.” For the study, researchers analysed sugarcane production trends between 1999 and 2021 in Ahmednagar, Solapur and Nashik in Maharashtra, and Bellary and Dharwad in Karnataka. The five districts span distinct agro-climatic&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/rising-sugarcane-yields-coexist-with-climate-water-risks-in-semi-arid-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>West coast fishers confront ‘ghost gear’ problem</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/west-coast-fishers-confront-ghost-gear-problem/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/west-coast-fishers-confront-ghost-gear-problem/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jul 2026 10:47:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Robert Bociaga]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishermen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ghost nets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/23095213/IMG_5513-2048x1536-1-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39539</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Oceans, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the early light at Thoppumpady fishing harbour in the city of Kochi, coils of blue and green nylon nets lay heaped on the concrete docks, stiff with salt after a long night at sea. Many had been patched and repatched so often that they were barely holding together. Nets too damaged to mend are [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the early light at Thoppumpady fishing harbour in the city of Kochi, coils of blue and green nylon nets lay heaped on the concrete docks, stiff with salt after a long night at sea. Many had been patched and repatched so often that they were barely holding together. Nets too damaged to mend are often cut loose offshore. Once they sink, few are ever recovered. Across India’s west coast, lost fishing gear known as “ghost gear” has become a significant source of marine pollution. Nets vanish whole or in fragments, slipping into the waters of the Arabian Sea where they continue trapping fish, turtles and other marine life long after fishers abandon them. India operates one of the world’s largest marine fishing sectors, supporting an estimated 14.5 million livelihoods along more than 7,500 kilometres of coastline. While national estimates are scarce, a 2022 study in the southwestern state of Kerala, where Kochi is located, found that fishers lost, abandoned or discarded about 21% of their fishing gear annually. That’s more than 10 times the global average of 1.82% estimated by another study, which highlights the scale of material entering India’s marine environment. Despite growing concern among researchers and conservationists, India lacks a systematic way to track, retrieve or recycle lost fishing gear, as well as accessible mechanisms to collect and safely dispose of end-of-life nets and other equipment before they are discarded at sea. The government regulates fisheries tightly in many respects — from mesh sizes and seasonal bans&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/west-coast-fishers-confront-ghost-gear-problem/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Farmers of the forest</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/farmers-of-the-forest/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/farmers-of-the-forest/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Jul 2026 13:36:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Team Mongabay-India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/22101044/hornbill_species-file-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=39533</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Species File]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Endangered species, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India is home to nine hornbill species. They nest in the hollows of high-canopy trees, inside which females seal themselves during breeding.]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Species File: Exploring India&#8217;s biodiversity, one species at a time. In July, four Malabar pied hornbills were spotted near agricultural fields along the Muyyam river in Kannur district, Kerala, a first for the area. The sighting was considered a marvel given that the species is rarely spotted outside dense forests. Another hornbill species, the Indian grey hornbill, has been breeding successfully in Gujarat’s Gir National Park, where 40 individuals was translocated in 2021. Despite these instances, hunting and other threats continue to loom over the hornbills in India. In June, the forest department arrested three people in connection with the hunting of a protected hornbill in Assam’s Tinsukia district, highlighting continued pressure on the species. Hornbills (family Bucerotidae) are birds found largely in the tropics of sub-Saharan Africa and south and south-east Asia. They are easily recognised by their long, curved bills topped with a casque. The birds nest in the natural hollows of high-canopy trees, where females seal themselves inside tree cavities during breeding. Hornbills are often known as ‘farmers of the forest’ due to their propensity to consume fruits and disperse seeds far and wide. India is home to nine hornbill species. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species, some, such as the great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) and Malabar grey hornbill (Ocyceros griseus) are listed as vulnerable. The Malabar pied hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus) is near threatened with a declining population, while the Indian grey hornbill (Ocyceros birostris) population remains relatively stable.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/farmers-of-the-forest/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>A lone moth leads the discovery of a new genus</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/a-lone-moth-leads-the-discovery-of-a-new-genus/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/a-lone-moth-leads-the-discovery-of-a-new-genus/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Jul 2026 13:18:06 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[moths]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/22111232/Antaram-idukki-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=39535</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Insects, New species, Western Ghats, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[An international team of scientists and naturalists has described a completely new genus and species of tiger moth found in Kerala. Belonging to the tiger moth subfamily Arctiinae (Erebidae), the species, now named Antaram idukki, was discovered in the state&#8217;s Idukki district. According to the study&#8217;s lead author, Aparna Sureshchandra Kalawate of the Zoological Survey of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[An international team of scientists and naturalists has described a completely new genus and species of tiger moth found in Kerala. Belonging to the tiger moth subfamily Arctiinae (Erebidae), the species, now named Antaram idukki, was discovered in the state&#8217;s Idukki district. According to the study&#8217;s lead author, Aparna Sureshchandra Kalawate of the Zoological Survey of India, the insect is so distinct that it cannot be placed in any known genus of tiger moths. “We collected this specimen from Idukki in 2024, but it didn&#8217;t match any known tiger moth genus from India,” says Kalawate. “After conducting a detailed morphological analysis, I contacted Alberto Zilli, curator at the Natural History Museum, London, and co-author of the paper, asking him to compare it with genera across the entire subfamily. It took him five to six months to complete the assessment, and he eventually confirmed that it did not match any known genus. That’s when we concluded we were looking at a new genus.” Typically taxonomists discover species so discovering an an entirely new genus, a rank in the biological classification system that is above species, is a rare finding. The researchers named the new genus Antaram and the species Antaram idukki. It differs in its body structure and reproductive anatomy from all known tiger moth groups. The team collected only a single male specimen from Idukki district in the southern Western Ghats. They say this could indicate that the species is either extremely rare or has simply escaped detection, as moth diversity&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/a-lone-moth-leads-the-discovery-of-a-new-genus/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Dolphins tread the waters between tourist boats and fishing nets</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/dolphins-tread-the-waters-between-tourist-boats-and-fishing-nets/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/dolphins-tread-the-waters-between-tourist-boats-and-fishing-nets/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Jul 2026 16:03:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dolphins]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/21145702/Researchers-found-that-dolphins-were-more-likely-to-avoid-tourist-boats-as-they-approached-more-closely-or-surrounded-them-in-larger-numbers.-Photo-Credit-Imran-Samad-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39516</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Goa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Fish, Fishing, Mammals, Oceans, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For Indian Ocean humpback dolphins off Goa&#8217;s coast, fishing nets may offer feeding opportunities, while tourist boats often bring disturbance. A recent study, published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, examined how the endangered species balances these competing responses when tourism and fisheries overlap in the same waters. “Tourism and fisheries are among the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For Indian Ocean humpback dolphins off Goa&#8217;s coast, fishing nets may offer feeding opportunities, while tourist boats often bring disturbance. A recent study, published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, examined how the endangered species balances these competing responses when tourism and fisheries overlap in the same waters. “Tourism and fisheries are among the most common human activities in the habitats used by these dolphins. We were interested in how dolphins respond when they have to balance disturbance from boats with the opportunity to access food resources,” says Imran Samad, corresponding author of the study and a scholar at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science. Watching dolphins from above The study was carried out in north Goa between October 2023 and April 2024. The region supports relatively high densities of Indian Ocean humpback dolphins and also experiences intensive fishing and dolphin-watching tourism activity. Researchers monitored dolphin groups from elevated coastal vantage points. Once dolphins were sighted, they followed the animals using a drone, flown at a height of 60-100 metres above sea level. “Traditionally, dolphin behaviour is studied either from the shore using theodolites (monoculars used to estimate dolphin positions) or from boats. We used drones, which allowed us to observe animals from above and follow individuals and groups without directly disturbing them,&#8221; says Samad. Over six months, the team conducted 90 focal follows of dolphin groups and recorded 19 hours of dolphin footage. The footage was then analysed using machine-learning tools that tracked dolphin movements&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/dolphins-tread-the-waters-between-tourist-boats-and-fishing-nets/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>India’s afforestation needs a species lens [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indias-afforestation-needs-a-species-lens-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indias-afforestation-needs-a-species-lens-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Jul 2026 15:47:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Pradeep Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[afforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[native plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restoration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rewilding]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/21130241/IMG_2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39497</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Forestry, Forests, Plantations, Plants, Reforestation, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[During my tenure as Divisional Forest Officer in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, I walked through a seven-year-old mixed plantation. According to the plantation journal maintained by the range office, 14 species had been planted at the start. On the ground, teak dominated — a few others persisted in scattered numbers, and some had disappeared entirely. Their [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[During my tenure as Divisional Forest Officer in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, I walked through a seven-year-old mixed plantation. According to the plantation journal maintained by the range office, 14 species had been planted at the start. On the ground, teak dominated — a few others persisted in scattered numbers, and some had disappeared entirely. Their decline was not recorded anywhere. It had been quietly absorbed into an aggregate survival statistic that still read as success. Plantation drives in India are often measured by the number of saplings planted and their survival rates, which portray an image of progress. But do these numbers reflect genuine ecological restoration or just denser tree cover? Indore district provides insight into this issue. Working Plan data from Indore Forest Division showed stable plantation targets, yet several native species fell to less than 1% of the tree population, a trend not captured in plantation reports or remote-sensing maps. This decline did not stem from felling operations or from a single visible event. Instead, it developed quietly, due to selective extraction, poor regeneration, grazing pressure, and climate stress. The greater issue is a management focus on numbers rather than on which species survive. Recognising this, the intervention emphasising Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) species raises a crucial question: Should forestry success be measured by total tree cover, or by the sustained presence of native biodiversity? The monsoon landscape at Shankargarh Hills in Dewas district, Madhya Pradesh, where community-led restoration is reviving native biodiversity. Image by Samarjeet Jadav.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indias-afforestation-needs-a-species-lens-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Heat plans must account for age and gender, says UN Women paper</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/heat-plans-must-account-for-age-and-gender-says-un-women-paper/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/heat-plans-must-account-for-age-and-gender-says-un-women-paper/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Jul 2026 12:25:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat impacts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat stroke]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat wave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heatwave]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/21102915/pexels-votso-sothu-53802751-35635150-scaled-e1784610000177-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39480</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Environment and Her]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Extreme Weather Events, Fossil Fuels, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Health impacts, Human Rights, Impacts of Climate Change, People, and United Nations]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India witnessed yet another record-breaking summer this year. As scorching temperatures become the new norm, a new technical paper calls for a more granular understanding of gender and age-specific risks of heat stress. The paper, Gender-differentiated and age-specific risks of heat stress in a warming world: Implications for equality and resilience, by Venge Nyirongo, Deputy [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India witnessed yet another record-breaking summer this year. As scorching temperatures become the new norm, a new technical paper calls for a more granular understanding of gender and age-specific risks of heat stress. The paper, Gender-differentiated and age-specific risks of heat stress in a warming world: Implications for equality and resilience, by Venge Nyirongo, Deputy Chief of Economic Empowerment and Policy Advisor for Sustainable Development at United Nations (UN) Women, highlights that heat stress affects men, women, children, adults and older people differently. Nyirongo explains that biological responses vary between men and women. While men have higher sweat rates than women, mortality from heat stroke and heat-related cardiac events is significantly higher among men. Heat impacts also emerge from the interaction of biological differences and gendered social roles, notes the paper. Strenuous physical work performed outdoors, primarily by men, raises internal body temperatures, placing them at greater risk of heat-related illnesses. For women, the paper notes, the impacts of passive heat exposure experienced indoors during heatwaves are a significant concern. It also points out that much of the agricultural work undertaken by women, such as transporting water or watering seedlings, is carried out during the hottest parts of the day, often without sufficient knowledge about heat impacts or access to cooling measures. “These patterns likely reflect both biology and social behaviour,” writes Nyirongo. He stresses the need for more data collection, monitoring and research to develop targeted heat adaptation measures across different demographic groups. “The paper underscores that a significant&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/heat-plans-must-account-for-age-and-gender-says-un-women-paper/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Why is Conocarpus being banned across states? [Explainer]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/why-is-conocarpus-being-banned-across-states-explainer/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/why-is-conocarpus-being-banned-across-states-explainer/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Jul 2026 17:06:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban trees]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/18120118/51866377640_3033476cd1_o-e1784357092548-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39442</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Cities and Towns, Ecology, Environment, Health impacts, Plants, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In March, the Karnataka High Court directed the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to consider the issues highlighted in a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking the removal of all Conocarpus trees planted across the city. The high court advisory on Conocarpus, a genus of trees introduced to India from the Gulf, where it has been [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In March, the Karnataka High Court directed the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to consider the issues highlighted in a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking the removal of all Conocarpus trees planted across the city. The high court advisory on Conocarpus, a genus of trees introduced to India from the Gulf, where it has been extensively used in urban landscaping, comes on the heels of prohibitory orders enforced by the state governments of Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. In August, 2025, based on a report by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), the Government of India issued a national advisory to all states and union territories to stop the plantation of Conocarpus erectus (buttonwood) and Conocarpus lancifolius (damask) with immediate effect, flagging ecological and public health concerns. The report compared the Conocarpus species with invasive plants such as Lantana camara and Parthenium hysteroporus. How did Conocarpus take over urban India? There are two species of Conocarpus trees found in India, Conocarpus erectus and Conocarpus lancifolius. Of these, Plants of the World Online (POWO), a global digital database of the world’s flora, only recognises the introduction of Conocarpus erectus to the country. However,  Achyut Banerjee, a plant invasion biologist and assistant professor at Azim Premji University, Bhopal, says both species, including Conocarpus lancifolius, followed a similar route into the country. “They were brought from their native range to Gulf countries for urban landscaping, and then introduced to India from there,” he said. Over the past decade, Conocarpus has mushroomed in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/why-is-conocarpus-being-banned-across-states-explainer/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
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					<title>Measuring development through wellbeing, sustainability and more [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/measuring-development-through-wellbeing-sustainability-and-more-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/measuring-development-through-wellbeing-sustainability-and-more-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Jul 2026 15:05:13 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Oliver King EDISoumya Swaminathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GDP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green Accounting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/20143843/pexels-equalstock-20527529-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39466</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon Finance, Climate Change Adaptation, and Conservation finance]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India&#8217;s development story, like much of the world, continues to be told through a single number: Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Every quarter, GDP growth dominates headlines, shaping perceptions of economic success and influencing policy priorities. Yet GDP measures only the value of goods and services produced within an economy. It does not reveal whether soils [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India&#8217;s development story, like much of the world, continues to be told through a single number: Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Every quarter, GDP growth dominates headlines, shaping perceptions of economic success and influencing policy priorities. Yet GDP measures only the value of goods and services produced within an economy. It does not reveal whether soils are becoming more fertile, biodiversity is recovering, water resources are being replenished, diets are becoming healthier, or communities are becoming more resilient. While GDP remains indispensable for measuring economic activity, it was never designed to capture the quality, equity or sustainability of development. Recognising these limitations, the recently released report of the United Nations High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP, Counting What Counts: A Compass of Progress for People and Planet, urges countries to complement GDP with a broader framework that measures well-being, equity, sustainability and resilience. Rather than replacing GDP, the report recommends integrating these measures into planning, budgeting and accountability systems so that governments assess what truly matters for long-term human progress. For India, this call is particularly timely. Over the past three decades, the country has achieved remarkable economic growth, lifting millions out of poverty and becoming one of the world&#8217;s largest economies. Yet this progress has coincided with ecological degradation, groundwater depletion, biodiversity loss, climate vulnerability, nutritional insecurity and growing pressure on rural livelihoods. Economic output can continue to rise even as the natural and social systems that sustain it are steadily weakened. Relying solely on GDP therefore risks encouraging policies&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/measuring-development-through-wellbeing-sustainability-and-more-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/measuring-development-through-wellbeing-sustainability-and-more-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Important shark, ray habitats in India are still unprotected</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/important-shark-ray-habitats-in-india-are-still-unprotected/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/important-shark-ray-habitats-in-india-are-still-unprotected/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Jul 2026 09:30:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rupsy Khurana]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/17171255/Scalloped_Hammerhead_Shark_Sphyrna_Lewini_226845659-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39423</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Environmental Law, and Fishing]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For more than 400 million years, sharks have survived on Earth, outlasting dramatic climatic shifts and multiple mass extinctions. But since 1970, the global abundance of sharks and rays has reduced by 71%. During the same period, fishing pressure doubled, and shark and ray catches tripled. Unabated extraction and the destruction of key nursery and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For more than 400 million years, sharks have survived on Earth, outlasting dramatic climatic shifts and multiple mass extinctions. But since 1970, the global abundance of sharks and rays has reduced by 71%. During the same period, fishing pressure doubled, and shark and ray catches tripled. Unabated extraction and the destruction of key nursery and feeding grounds have pushed many populations of sharks and their relatives, rays and chimaeras, into steep decline. Today, more than three-quarters of these species are threatened with extinction. According to a 2021 study, India is the world&#8217;s second-largest shark-fishing nation, occupying a critical position in the future of shark and ray conservation. Yet many of the country&#8217;s existing marine protected areas exclude key habitats of these species, which can limit the effectiveness of current conservation efforts, finds a new study, published in Biodiversity and Conservation. “This study highlights that new efforts are needed to ensure that sharks and rays also receive adequate protection, just like sea turtles, dolphins, and so on,” says Divya Karnad, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter and an author of the study. Scalloped hammerhead sharks at Sasson Dock, Mumbai. Image by Raju Kasambe via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Mismatched conservation targets and reality The study maps Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA), a framework by the IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group, to identify habitats essential for the survival of sharks, rays, and chimaeras. ISRAs are discrete areas where these species occur regularly or predictably and which&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/important-shark-ray-habitats-in-india-are-still-unprotected/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/important-shark-ray-habitats-in-india-are-still-unprotected/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Tribal council calls recognition of forest rights on Great Nicobar Island ‘false’</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Jul 2026 17:04:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Forest Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest Right Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest Rights]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/17135552/25717790891_a505e61f54_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39405</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Community based conservation, Conservation, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Industry, and Islands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Members of the Tribal Council of the Little Nicobar and Great Nicobar Islands have written to the Union Tribal Affairs Minister demanding the withdrawal of a certificate which claimed forest rights had been recognised and settled on Great Nicobar Island. The certification, issued in August 2022, enabled clearances for the Great Nicobar Island project to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Members of the Tribal Council of the Little Nicobar and Great Nicobar Islands have written to the Union Tribal Affairs Minister demanding the withdrawal of a certificate which claimed forest rights had been recognised and settled on Great Nicobar Island. The certification, issued in August 2022, enabled clearances for the Great Nicobar Island project to come through later that year. The ₹81,000 crores (₹810 billion) project includes the development of a trans-shipment port, military and civilian airport, solar power plant, and township along the island&#8217;s southern coast. The letter, dated June 30, 2026, was written in response to a statement by the Tribal Affairs Minister, Jual Oran, who said that “development and tribal protection are not mutually exclusive.” Approximately 130 square kilometres of the project-affected area falls on forest land, requiring the removal of close to one million trees. In their letter, the tribal chiefs proposed an alternative set of initiatives to meet their needs, including building basic critical infrastructure like hospitals, telecommunication towers, and footpaths. “Development will be achieved when those who have the power to make decisions and are duty bound to address our grievances don’t keep ignoring us,” says the letter. The letter demands that tribal rights to accessing forest land be legitimately recognised, and that the certification issued by the Andaman and Nicobar Island Deputy Commissioner in August 2022 be withdrawn. The Deputy Commissioner had issued a certificate claiming that forest rights over the project affected-land had been recognised, settled, and approved for diversion under the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The hidden burden of rural air pollution</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-hidden-burden-of-rural-air-pollution/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-hidden-burden-of-rural-air-pollution/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Jul 2026 16:07:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Himanshu Praveen]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brick industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brick kiln]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rural India]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/17122910/A-commuter-rides-through-a-dense-low-lying-blanket-of-toxic-smog-at-sunset-a-common-winter-and-post-monsoon-reality-along-rural-Bihar_s-unmanaged-waste-dumping-tracks-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39390</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Bihar]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Biofuels, Clean Energy, Energy, Fossil Fuels, Health impacts, Human Rights, Industry, Pollution, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the peak of summer, villages around Koilwar and Arrah in Bihar&#8217;s Bhojpur district are often hit by dust storms. By midday, strong winds sweep fine soil across agricultural fields, leaving crops and rooftops coated in dust. But the dust seen in summer is only the beginning. For local communities, air pollution typically worsens after [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the peak of summer, villages around Koilwar and Arrah in Bihar&#8217;s Bhojpur district are often hit by dust storms. By midday, strong winds sweep fine soil across agricultural fields, leaving crops and rooftops coated in dust. But the dust seen in summer is only the beginning. For local communities, air pollution typically worsens after the monsoon into the winter months when temperatures plunge, and ground-level wind speeds drop to near-stagnation. It prevents dust and emissions from industries and households from dispersing easily. As a result, pollutants accumulate near the ground, causing air quality to deteriorate. Vishwanath Pratap Singh, a local social activist based in Bhojpur, says, “During the summer, we somehow manage the heat and dust storms, which are challenging but still manageable. But the real disaster unfolds during the winter months when a strange heaviness grips the village air. &#8220;Persistent eye irritation and chronic throat infections have now become a daily reality for our children and the elderly,” he adds. Aamod Kumar, a resident of Koilwar, says the air becomes unbearable in winter. &#8220;Once the brick kilns start operating, the whole area fills with smoke, especially in the mornings. Ash settles on our crops, affecting the harvest. Stepping outside feels like breathing smoke instead of fresh air.&#8221; The concerns expressed by Aamod and Singh are not an isolated experience. It is supported by findings from a study conducted by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Under the project named the AMRIT (Ambient Air Quality Monitoring over Rural areas using&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-hidden-burden-of-rural-air-pollution/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Cities need tailored restoration, not mass tree planting</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/cities-need-tailored-restoration-not-mass-tree-planting/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/cities-need-tailored-restoration-not-mass-tree-planting/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Jul 2026 15:07:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/17093622/DJI_0476-Restored-grazing-commons-of-Bagepalli-scaled-e1784263951510-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39376</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Cities and Towns, Ecology, Forests, Plantations, Plants, Reforestation, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Thousands of Bengaluru residents came together late last month in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for planting the largest number of tree saplings in a single day. Nearly 1.5 million saplings were planted across 240 acres in the drive organised by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), with funding from multiple corporate social [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Thousands of Bengaluru residents came together late last month in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for planting the largest number of tree saplings in a single day. Nearly 1.5 million saplings were planted across 240 acres in the drive organised by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), with funding from multiple corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and support from environmental organisations. A growing number of ecologists, however, say the enthusiasm for mass tree planting in cities has outpaced the science behind it. This tree plantation drive, billed as one of the country&#8217;s largest urban greening exercises, was designed using the Japanese Miyawaki method of dense native tree planting, a method that is popular but also has been criticised for overstating its effectiveness. “The idea is to make Bengaluru greener. There is global warming, so we want to start this movement with the city,” BDA chairman N.A. Haris told Mongabay-India before the event. He said the plantations, spread across lakes, nala buffer zones and public spaces, are intended to reduce the urban heat island effect and build the city&#8217;s climate resilience. Authorities say every sapling will be geo-tagged and monitored for survival. But mass tree plantation is hardly a quick fix to urban green loss. “What exactly are we trying to achieve? Is it setting a record or greening the city? If it&#8217;s ecology, then what environmental problem are we trying to solve?” asks Rajkamal Goswami, a scientist at ATREE who studies forests and biodiversity dynamics. For Goswami, the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/cities-need-tailored-restoration-not-mass-tree-planting/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<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" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39353</guid>

											<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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														</item>
						<item>
					<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" />
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											<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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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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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>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<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>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![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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