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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/environment/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:03:33 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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				<item>
					<title>As El Niño strengthens, coral reefs face narrow windows for recovery</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/as-el-nino-strengthens-coral-reefs-face-narrow-windows-for-recovery/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/as-el-nino-strengthens-coral-reefs-face-narrow-windows-for-recovery/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Oct 2026 13:33:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[El Niño]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/09121449/AP26239555635896-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41534</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Fish, Global Warming, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As UN Secretary-General António Guterres says, El Niño is being “supersized” by a warming climate. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that coral reefs are being hit by new bleaching events before they have had time to recover from earlier ones. UNEP likened reefs to “an overmatched boxer” taking repeated blows, citing findings from the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As UN Secretary-General António Guterres says, El Niño is being “supersized” by a warming climate. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that coral reefs are being hit by new bleaching events before they have had time to recover from earlier ones. UNEP likened reefs to “an overmatched boxer” taking repeated blows, citing findings from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). The outlook is stark. “Multiple lines of evidence indicate that the majority (70-90%) of warm water (tropical) coral reefs that exist today will disappear even if global warming is constrained to 1.5°C,” as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns. The headline, however, is that marine heatwaves are narrowing the window for coral reef recovery. “Coral reefs once had decades to recover after major bleaching events. Today, they’re lucky to get five or six years,” said Manuel González Rivero, a reef expert at The Australian Institute of Marine Science and lead author of the GCRMN report. “And for many reefs affected by the unprecedented marine heatwaves in 2024, this year’s El Niño likely means they’ll have had little more than a year to begin recovering before being hit again.” “India’s own reefs show the same trend,” said marine biologist Amruth P., assistant professor in the Department of Life Sciences at CHRIST University, Bengaluru. “A 24-year study in Lakshadweep recorded coral cover falling from about 37% to under 20% since 1998 after repeated marine heatwaves.” The study by the Mysuru-based Nature Conservation Foundation&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/as-el-nino-strengthens-coral-reefs-face-narrow-windows-for-recovery/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The emotional cost of displacement</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/the-emotional-cost-of-displacement/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/the-emotional-cost-of-displacement/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Oct 2026 12:01:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi M.R.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Displacement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mental health]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/09093557/7-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41519</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Making Waves]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arabian Sea and Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Coast, Coastal erosion, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Fishing, Floods, Health impacts, Human Rights, Oceans, People, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“This was our home,” says 43-year-old Baby Titus, pointing to a green-painted house secured with a rusty lock. Waves were repeatedly crashing on the right side of the house. “The sea kept entering and receding, and it caused a short circuit inside the house. You would get an electric shock wherever you touched.” A road [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“This was our home,” says 43-year-old Baby Titus, pointing to a green-painted house secured with a rusty lock. Waves were repeatedly crashing on the right side of the house. “The sea kept entering and receding, and it caused a short circuit inside the house. You would get an electric shock wherever you touched.” A road past Kollamkode Church in Thiruvananthapuram leads to the Arabian Sea, where rows of houses like Titus’s line the shoreline. Many houses here have been engulfed by the sea. The remains of those houses, along with the granite boulders dumped into the sea for a seawall, are constantly battered by the waves, each surge crashing against them with a frightening roar. Kulathoor grama panchayat is the southernmost grama panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala. Its coastal wards, including Pozhipallivilakam, Mullassery, Kollamkode, Paruthiyoor, Pozhikara Beach and Pozhiyoor, have been facing severe coastal erosion for decades. Many of these wards have only seven or eight rows of houses remaining, out of about 100. Of those that remain, only a few are inhabited. Fearing the house was structurally precarious and hence, unsafe, Baby Titus now lives in a rented two-bedroom house next door with her husband and three adolescent children, paying ₹2,000 a month. The house’s owners have moved elsewhere due to flooding. Baby Titus spends the night listening anxiously to the sound of every crashing wave, wondering whether the sea is coming in — a reality shared by the families living along the coast. Baby Titus&#8217;s coastal home&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/the-emotional-cost-of-displacement/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A changing climate is reshaping India’s infectious disease risks</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/a-changing-climate-is-reshaping-indias-infectious-disease-risks/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/a-changing-climate-is-reshaping-indias-infectious-disease-risks/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Oct 2026 11:49:28 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rupsy Khurana]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment and health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pathogens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zoonoses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zoonotic disease]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/08104600/AP26222296060420-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41482</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Science, Drought, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Floods, Global Warming, Health impacts, Human Rights, and Impacts of Climate Change]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When extreme weather events occur, the damage is usually measured in collapsed buildings, damaged roads and flooded homes. But the aftermath also brings a less visible threat. Heatwaves, droughts, erratic rainfall and flash floods, in combination or alone, also reshape the ecology of diseases. They can affect how long pathogens survive, change the distribution of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When extreme weather events occur, the damage is usually measured in collapsed buildings, damaged roads and flooded homes. But the aftermath also brings a less visible threat. Heatwaves, droughts, erratic rainfall and flash floods, in combination or alone, also reshape the ecology of diseases. They can affect how long pathogens survive, change the distribution of disease-carrying insects and bring people, animals and pathogens into closer contact, increasing the risk of outbreaks in new places at unexpected times. The latest assessment report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that heatwaves and extreme rainfall events are projected to increase in the coming years. A 2025 study by IPE Global, an international development consultancy, and Esri India, a GIS mapping company, warns that extreme weather could become more severe by 2030, with heatwaves projected to double in major cities and extreme rainfall events expected to rise by 43% across the country. Health experts state that we need to factor in and prevent climate-related outbreaks rather than simply responding to them. Health risks during monsoons and droughts The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) reports that the past decade has witnessed some of the worst floods on record. India, too, has experienced devastating floods, including those in Mumbai in 2025 and Kerala in 2018. “Heavy rainfall and flooding create ideal conditions for the emergence and spread of infections,” shares Surya Prasad, a consultant physician at Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru. “Floodwater overwhelms sewage systems and mixes human and animal waste into water sources, while warmer&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/a-changing-climate-is-reshaping-indias-infectious-disease-risks/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>India’s coking coal push needs a methane plan [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/indias-coking-coal-push-needs-a-methane-plan-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/indias-coking-coal-push-needs-a-methane-plan-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Sep 2026 15:45:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Purva JainSaumya Nautiyal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green Steel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[methane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steel Industry]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/29115811/pexels-vikashkr50-17971796-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41285</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon emissions, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Coal, Energy, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Industry, Pollution, Sustainability, Technology, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India is preparing to double its coking coal output by 2030, especially to meet its steel manufacturing needs. While carbon emissions from coal use are well known, coal mining also produces methane emissions, which warrant early attention. If monitoring and abatement measures are not incorporated at the planning stage, it could lock in higher emissions [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India is preparing to double its coking coal output by 2030, especially to meet its steel manufacturing needs. While carbon emissions from coal use are well known, coal mining also produces methane emissions, which warrant early attention. If monitoring and abatement measures are not incorporated at the planning stage, it could lock in higher emissions in mining operations for decades. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and is formed in coal mines during the coalification process. It remains trapped within the coal seam and is released when mining disturbs or exposes the seam to the atmosphere. These emissions are called coal mine methane (CMM) and occur during multiple stages of the mining cycle, including extraction, drainage, and ventilation, as well as post-mining activities such as coal processing, storage, and transport. Coking coal mining is particularly methane-intensive, with around 50% higher methane intensity than non-coking coal. When heated in the absence of air, coking coal converts into coke: a strong, porous material, low in ash and moisture and free of volatile matter. Coke’s use as a fuel and a reducing agent in steel production sets it apart from non-coking coal, which is primarily used for energy generation. Why is India planning for more coking coal? In the absence of good-quality domestically produced coking coal, India imports around 90% of the coking coal required by its steel sector, which needs low ash and sulphur content and caking properties. India&#8217;s domestic coking coal production is still falling short. It mined 66.8 million tonnes&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/indias-coking-coal-push-needs-a-methane-plan-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/indias-coking-coal-push-needs-a-methane-plan-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>El Niño, the monsoon, and the confusion of Kerala&#8217;s fishers [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/el-nino-the-monsoon-and-the-confusion-of-keralas-fishers-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/el-nino-the-monsoon-and-the-confusion-of-keralas-fishers-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Sep 2026 13:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[John Kurien]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arabian sea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishermen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sea]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/24232735/Kochi_Fishing_Fishermen_Kerala_India-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41191</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Science, Coast, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Fish, Fishing, Monsoons, Oceans, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The phone call came on a humid July afternoon. It was a fisherman from Marianad, a village in Thiruvananthapuram district where I first began my work with fishers in 1973. He was calling to share what he was seeing at sea. The sea had been rough, he said. Fishers were still going out, despite the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The phone call came on a humid July afternoon. It was a fisherman from Marianad, a village in Thiruvananthapuram district where I first began my work with fishers in 1973. He was calling to share what he was seeing at sea. The sea had been rough, he said. Fishers were still going out, despite the risk, because there were plenty of fish in the deeper waters. The turbid water was working in their favour too — fish were getting caught in the nets more easily. Supply on the shore was short, so prices were high. Earnings were good. But something puzzled him. The sea felt cooler now than he remembered it in earlier Julys. That was not what he expected. It was not what I expected either. The name that came from fishers To make sense of it, it helps to start with a story from the other side of the world. Off the coast of Peru and Ecuador, fishers noticed that every few years, around Christmas, the ocean would turn unusually warm, and the fish they depended on would vanish. They named the phenomenon after the season it arrived in — El Niño or &#8220;the little boy,&#8221; referring to &#8220;the Christ Child&#8221;. A name given by fishers has since become the scientific term for one of the most powerful climate patterns on Earth. El Niño is not a local event. When the surface of the tropical Pacific warms, the effects ripple outward across the planet — shifting rainfall belts,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/el-nino-the-monsoon-and-the-confusion-of-keralas-fishers-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Odours offer new clues in monitoring big cats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/odours-offer-new-clues-in-monitoring-big-cats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/odours-offer-new-clues-in-monitoring-big-cats/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Sep 2026 10:17:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leopard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leopards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife monitoring]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/23180257/Tiger_spray_marking._DavidRaju_1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41161</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Camera traps, Cats, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Forests, Mammals, Research, Technology and Conservation, Tigers, Wildlife, and Zoos]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Camera trapping and genetic sampling are big cat monitoring techniques that can estimate population size, density and identify individuals. But they often provide limited information about an animal’s age, sex, reproductive status or health. A new study now suggests that the animal’s urine and scat could reveal more than its presence in a forest. Researchers [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Camera trapping and genetic sampling are big cat monitoring techniques that can estimate population size, density and identify individuals. But they often provide limited information about an animal’s age, sex, reproductive status or health. A new study now suggests that the animal’s urine and scat could reveal more than its presence in a forest. Researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Ahmedabad University and the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences tested whether volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in urine and scat could provide a non-invasive way of collecting information about Bengal tigers and Indian leopards. “The goal was to see whether you could ‘read’ biologically meaningful information — species, age, sex, even reproductive state — directly from the odours the animals leave behind, without ever having to catch, dart, or physically handle the animal,” says B.V. Aditi Prasad, the corresponding author of the study and currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany. Testing the method The researchers collected urine and scat from nine captive tigers and 15 captive leopards at three zoos — Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru, Kamala Nehru Zoological Park in Ahmedabad and Sayajibaug Zoo in Vadodara. The ages and sexes of the animals were known, allowing researchers to compare their chemical profiles with these characteristics. A new study of tiger and leopard samples in India suggests that a big cat&#8217;s urine and scat could reveal more about its ecology than camera traps and genetic samples. Image by Prasenjeet Yadav.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/odours-offer-new-clues-in-monitoring-big-cats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>As city trees fall, experts point to poor planning and civic apathy</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-city-trees-fall-experts-point-to-poor-planning-and-civic-apathy/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-city-trees-fall-experts-point-to-poor-planning-and-civic-apathy/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Sep 2026 10:23:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Esha Lohia]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[city planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban trees]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/22195358/1b24c979-f19d-4c6c-8f13-246673aef5ff-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41135</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Science, Ecosystem services, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Floods, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Earlier this year, when Mumbaikars hoped the monsoon would end the heatwave, heavy rains and gusty winds turned the city’s tree-lined roads into hazard zones. Now, the monsoon in Mumbai does not just mean floods; it also means fearing that the next tree to fall could be the one you’re walking under. In a span [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Earlier this year, when Mumbaikars hoped the monsoon would end the heatwave, heavy rains and gusty winds turned the city’s tree-lined roads into hazard zones. Now, the monsoon in Mumbai does not just mean floods; it also means fearing that the next tree to fall could be the one you’re walking under. In a span of a week in June-July, three people died in separate tree-related incidents. On June 30, 11-year-old Vihaan Srivastava died when a 60-year-old tree fell on the school bus he was on, in Chembur. Kumar Hasan Raza Jahangir Alam Syed, 18, died when a large tree branch struck him while he was riding a motorcycle in Aarey Colony, on July 5. On the same day, Yunus Kundawala, 63, died after he was struck by a falling tree in Kurla. Between June 22 and July 17, 902 trees have been uprooted, and 1,251 branches have fallen across public spaces in Mumbai. July 5 and July 6 recorded the highest single-day figures during the rain, 203 and 523 tree-fall incidents, respectively. Data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shows 655 tree falls in 2022, 687 in 2023, 653 in 2024 and 855 in 2025. This year, on July 7, BMC commissioner Ashwini Bhide, in a press conference, said concrete roads alone are not the cause of the problem, and attributed the tree-falling incidents to strong winds. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), gusty wind speeds reached 70-80 kilometres per hour between July 6 and July 7. However,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-city-trees-fall-experts-point-to-poor-planning-and-civic-apathy/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-city-trees-fall-experts-point-to-poor-planning-and-civic-apathy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Community-based mangrove monitoring should compliment satellite data [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/community-based-mangrove-monitoring-should-compliment-satellite-data-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/community-based-mangrove-monitoring-should-compliment-satellite-data-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 10:56:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Utchimahali Mariappan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restoration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/22101938/02_Kudikadu_UM-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41118</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Commentary, Community based conservation, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Forests, Mangroves, Nature-based Climate Solutions, Plantations, Plants, Positive Environmental, Reforestation, Satellite Imagery, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Early one morning at Kudikadu, a small fishing hamlet on the Uppanar river in Cuddalore district, a forester and their team members walked the mangrove nursery before the tide turned. They carried no satellite receiver or drones; only notebooks and pencils. They counted saplings, noted which ones survived the last spring tide and which did [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Early one morning at Kudikadu, a small fishing hamlet on the Uppanar river in Cuddalore district, a forester and their team members walked the mangrove nursery before the tide turned. They carried no satellite receiver or drones; only notebooks and pencils. They counted saplings, noted which ones survived the last spring tide and which did not. By now, hundreds of villagers are enrolled in Tamil Nadu&#8217;s Village Mangrove Councils, walking their own stretches of coast on their own schedules to observe the mangroves. The result? Something remote sensing alone cannot give you: ground truth, gathered frequently, at fine scale, with enough sampling points across enough seasons to mean something. This matters because Tamil Nadu&#8217;s mangrove restoration story is still being told mainly through area figures. A recent assessment by the Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management (CCCDM) at Anna University, part of its &#8216;Blue Carbon Monitoring for Mangroves of Tamil Nadu&#8217; report, found that the state&#8217;s mangrove area roughly doubled, from about 4,500 ha to 9,039 ha, between 2021 and 2024, an increase linked to plantation drives and protection measures carried out over the same period. New plantations account for 40.1% (3,625 ha) of this total, with existing mangrove forests making up the remaining 59.9% (5,414 ha). Area-based estimates alone cannot tell us whether new mangrove cover is surviving, diverse, and functioning, or whether it is a thin, even-aged stand, a bad monsoon away from dying back. The stakes are high because Tamil Nadu is now one of India&#8217;s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/community-based-mangrove-monitoring-should-compliment-satellite-data-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/community-based-mangrove-monitoring-should-compliment-satellite-data-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Monsoon amplifies antibiotic resistance gene levels in river water used by residents</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/monsoon-amplifies-antibiotic-resistance-gene-levels-in-river-water-used-by-residents/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/monsoon-amplifies-antibiotic-resistance-gene-levels-in-river-water-used-by-residents/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2026 14:08:01 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lekha Bandopadhyay]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/21121256/Rispana-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41096</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttarakhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Encroachment, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Floods, Himalayas, Natural Resources, Pollution, Rivers, Roads, Water, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In May 2019, Kenyum Bagra, a Ph.D. student from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, was collecting river water and sediment samples at multiple locations in Uttarakhand, along Bindal Rao and Rispana, two heavily polluted sub-tributaries of the Ganga river, flowing through Dehradun’s densely populated settlements. While Rispana is a perennial stream, she noted that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In May 2019, Kenyum Bagra, a Ph.D. student from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, was collecting river water and sediment samples at multiple locations in Uttarakhand, along Bindal Rao and Rispana, two heavily polluted sub-tributaries of the Ganga river, flowing through Dehradun’s densely populated settlements. While Rispana is a perennial stream, she noted that Bindal, a seasonal river, was dry at upstream locations, as expected at this time before the arrival of the monsoon (between June and September) except near the settlements where there was a slim flow. This flow was the city’s wastewater that drains into the riverbed throughout the year. Running in parallel, Rispana and Bindal respectively carry almost 10 million litres per day (MLD) and about 18 MLD of municipal wastewater, before joining downstream to form the Suswa river, a polluted river stretch listed under the Namami Gange river restoration programme. Bagra also noticed that both rivers were being used to dump solid waste. “During my work, I saw solid waste dumped directly into these rivers, as well as dead animals, while children were playing and bathing just downstream,” says Bagra, now an Assistant Professor at IIT-Varanasi. Based on seasonal (pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon) and multilocational samplings in 2019, Bagra’s mentor Gargi Singh, Associate Professor, IIT-Roorkee, recently reported that throughout the sampling stretches, these rivers showed widespread faecal and anthropogenic pollution. Monsoon rainfall was also associated with a surge in antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in both of these rivers. The river sediments were found to contain&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/monsoon-amplifies-antibiotic-resistance-gene-levels-in-river-water-used-by-residents/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/monsoon-amplifies-antibiotic-resistance-gene-levels-in-river-water-used-by-residents/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Floods affect millions in Bihar despite rainfall deficit</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/floods-affect-millions-despite-rainfall-deficit/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/floods-affect-millions-despite-rainfall-deficit/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 17:24:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ashwini Kumar Shukla]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heavy rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rainfall]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/18162929/IMG_3596-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41051</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Bihar]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Cities and Towns, Ecosystem services, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Floods, Rivers, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Geeta Devi is a resident of Gandhi Tola in Manihari, Katihar district, Bihar, one of the 15 districts worst hit by this year&#8217;s floods. Waist-deep water fills her three-room mud house, which is still standing. But she isn&#8217;t sure how long it will hold. She has kept her valuable belongings in an elevated place. Almost [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Geeta Devi is a resident of Gandhi Tola in Manihari, Katihar district, Bihar, one of the 15 districts worst hit by this year&#8217;s floods. Waist-deep water fills her three-room mud house, which is still standing. But she isn&#8217;t sure how long it will hold. She has kept her valuable belongings in an elevated place. Almost every day, the 35-year-old farmer braves the water to go from her makeshift shelter to her house check how much the water has risen and whether her things are safe. Geeta&#8217;s husband is in Delhi where he works as a daily-wage labourer, leaving her in charge of the flooded household, agricultural field, livestock and her four children. Scale of the losses Bihar is facing severe flooding, with the Ganga and several other rivers flowing above the danger mark. The Kosi is flowing above the danger mark at Baltara and Kursela, while the Budhi Gandak is above the mark at Khagaria. The Ganga is above the danger mark at Digha, Gandhi Ghat, Hathidah, Bhagalpur, Kahalgaon and Munger. The Punpun is above the mark at Paliganj, while the Bagmati and Ghaghra are above the danger mark at Benibad and Darauli. The floods have affected 15 districts of Bihar, with almost 50 lakh (5 million) people affected across 88 blocks and 575 gram panchayats, according to the state government’s press release dated September 14, 2026. Geeta is now sitting with her four children on a raised embankment beside the railway tracks. A small patch of cut grass lies&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/floods-affect-millions-despite-rainfall-deficit/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/floods-affect-millions-despite-rainfall-deficit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>As tigers spill beyond reserves, India rethinks conservation</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-tigers-spill-beyond-reserves-india-rethinks-conservation/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-tigers-spill-beyond-reserves-india-rethinks-conservation/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 12:04:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[big cats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tiger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wild Cats]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/18110753/Copy-of-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40999</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Forests, Grazing, Human Wildlife Conflict, Mammals, National Parks, People, Protected Areas, Tigers, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Forty-five-year-old Mahadeva Gowda was tending to his cotton farm in the village of Badagalapura in the southern Indian state of Karnataka when a tiger lunged at him from behind. He was caught unaware: He says he wasn’t aware that the forest department was trying to capture a tiger roaming through the areas. Before he realised [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Forty-five-year-old Mahadeva Gowda was tending to his cotton farm in the village of Badagalapura in the southern Indian state of Karnataka when a tiger lunged at him from behind. He was caught unaware: He says he wasn’t aware that the forest department was trying to capture a tiger roaming through the areas. Before he realised what was happening, the tiger swiped at his face, severely injuring his eyes and part of his face. After multiple reconstructive surgeries, Gowda has been left to live the rest of his life blinded, without eyes, his mouth only able to open partially, and his speech slurred. His wife, Indrani, says survival is extremely difficult for the family; Gowda was the household’s breadwinner, and now, he can’t work. He’s now become fully dependent on his wife for even his most basic needs. The incident occurred in mid-October 2025. Two weeks later, another farmer, 55-year-old Rajashekarappa, was grazing his cattle in a field when he encountered a tiger. It was fatal. Badagalapura and other villages that regularly report tiger encounters sit on the edge of the forest, placing them within what the forest department considers a “tiger landscape.” “Tigers have been present in this landscape for centuries and they constantly move here,” says S. Prabhakaran, who served as conservator of forests and oversaw operations at Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve until earlier this year. The 1,456-square-kilometre park is home to between 154 and 175 tigers, according to a 2024 estimate by India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-tigers-spill-beyond-reserves-india-rethinks-conservation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-tigers-spill-beyond-reserves-india-rethinks-conservation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>High-altitude bird hotspots remain outside protected areas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/high-altitude-bird-hotspots-remain-outside-protected-areas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/high-altitude-bird-hotspots-remain-outside-protected-areas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Sep 2026 14:15:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kasturi Das]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protected areas]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/17130909/RCNX0076-e1789630907282-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40967</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Biodiversity, Birds, Cats, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Himalayas, Mountains, Protected Areas, Wildlife, and Wildlife Protection Act]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the high-altitude landscapes of Himachal Pradesh, conservation efforts have long revolved around the charismatic snow leopard (Panthera uncia). But a new study suggests this focus may be leaving a host of other ecologically vital species outside the conservation umbrella. The study, led by scientists from the Nature Conservation Foundation and partner institutions, mapped the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the high-altitude landscapes of Himachal Pradesh, conservation efforts have long revolved around the charismatic snow leopard (Panthera uncia). But a new study suggests this focus may be leaving a host of other ecologically vital species outside the conservation umbrella. The study, led by scientists from the Nature Conservation Foundation and partner institutions, mapped the distribution of Galliformes — a group of heavy-bodied, ground-dwelling birds that includes pheasants and partridges — across 26,000 square kilometres. It found that only 12.5% of areas with high Galliformes species richness and 8.8% of areas with high concentrations of endemic species fall within existing protected areas (PA), designated zones for conservation of wildlife and habitats. The findings indicate that important bird habitats lie outside the designated protected areas. They point to the need for conservation planning that considers multiple species and the landscapes they share, rather than focusing mainly on flagship species such as the snow leopard. Snow leopard cameras reveal bird conservation gap The study, however, did not begin with birds at all. It grew out of a snow leopard survey conducted between 2016 and 2019. “We deployed close to 300 camera traps to estimate snow leopard populations,” said Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi, a scientist with the Nature Conservation Foundation, and senior author of the paper. “We completed that work and published those results. That is when we realised that while studying these charismatic species, our camera traps had detected many other animals.” Suryawanshi and his team revisited the data to identify species that warranted&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/high-altitude-bird-hotspots-remain-outside-protected-areas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>People and the politics of contest, construction and compensation</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Sep 2026 16:34:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Satish Bhartiya]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ken-betwa river linking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[River Interlinking]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/16154553/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%A8-%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B5-%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%BC%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%95-%E0%A4%98%E0%A4%B0-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40947</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Rights, Rivers, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The banks of the Barana river, where those affected by the Ken-Betwa project led the Panchtatva Satyagraha in July, now lie quiet. Although water levels have risen to cover much of the protest site, traces of the chita (pyre) and phansi (noose) used for demonstrations are still visible. The din of machinery can constantly be heard [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The banks of the Barana river, where those affected by the Ken-Betwa project led the Panchtatva Satyagraha in July, now lie quiet. Although water levels have risen to cover much of the protest site, traces of the chita (pyre) and phansi (noose) used for demonstrations are still visible. The din of machinery can constantly be heard from beneath the nearby bridge. A large number of slippers lie scattered near the bridge, left behind during police interventions on July 19. Bhagwati Saur, 60, who lives 30 km away in Mainari village in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh, arrived on July 4 at the protest site in Kupi village and returned home after the police cleared the site. She lives with her husband and six children in a five-room house. The family owns approximately five acres of agricultural land, where they grow mango, mahua and guava trees. She says that despite being affected by the project, she has, so far, received neither compensation for the house and land nor any related notice. “We pleaded for fair compensation, taking our appeal from Chhatarpur to Bhopal. When we were not heard, we had to raise our voices through the protest,” says Bhagwati. She is not the only one. In the affected villages, some families have been written off the compensation list, while others are awaiting payment. Many families are questioning the compensation rates and survey process. The April and July protests prompted the administration to order a reassessment of the families that had been left&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Researchers rediscover an endemic plant after 180 years</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/researchers-rediscover-an-endemic-plant-in-assam-after-180-years/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/researchers-rediscover-an-endemic-plant-in-assam-after-180-years/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Sep 2026 12:51:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plant]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/14103922/rungia-mastersii-pic-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40895</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Endemic species, Environment, New species, Plants, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[An endemic plant species Rungia mastersii was rediscovered in Assam, 180 years after its first discovery. The plant was not seen anywhere during this period. Kangkan Kumar Das, a doctoral researcher, and professor Debjyoti Bhattacharyya from the Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics at Assam University, Silchar, identified the species from Jatinga Hills in the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[An endemic plant species Rungia mastersii was rediscovered in Assam, 180 years after its first discovery. The plant was not seen anywhere during this period. Kangkan Kumar Das, a doctoral researcher, and professor Debjyoti Bhattacharyya from the Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics at Assam University, Silchar, identified the species from Jatinga Hills in the Dima Hasao district of Assam. In 1845, British botanist J.W. Masters first discovered the plant from an unidentified location along Assam&#8217;s Sundar river and the plant was named after Masters. Speaking to Mongabay-India, Das said, “I was pursuing my doctoral research on the Acanthaceae family of plants and was travelling through Assam for my research. In Jatinga hills in Dima Hasao, I found this plant Rungia mastersii which is also a member of the family Acanthaceae. After I discovered this plant, I consulted with the renowned Chinese botanist Prof. Yunfei Deng from South China Botanical Garden who confirmed it.” He informed that for almost two centuries, there was no trace of this plant anywhere in the world. “Only one herbarium sheet has been kept at Central National Herbarium (CNH), Howrah,” he said. The endemic plant species Rungia mastersii was rediscovered in Assam after 180 years in Jatinga Hills, Dima Hasao district. Image by Kangkan Kumar Das. Characteristics of the plant The study published by Das and Bhattacharyya in July, 2026 describes Rungia mastersii as 60 to 110 cm tall, thriving in moist forests at elevations of 900 to 1,250 metres, and featuring pale green to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/researchers-rediscover-an-endemic-plant-in-assam-after-180-years/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Bengaluru’s Hebbal tunnel raises concerns about groundwater and flooding</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/bengalurus-hebbal-tunnel-raises-concerns-about-groundwater-and-flooding/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/bengalurus-hebbal-tunnel-raises-concerns-about-groundwater-and-flooding/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Sep 2026 15:04:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sohel Sarkar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bengaluru]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/11125937/Construction-underway-for-Hebbal-short-tunnel-Oppostite-Veterinary-College-Campus-1_Photo-hy-author-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40874</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Environment, Floods, Lakes, Roads, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The proposed three-lane, bidirectional tunnel road in north Bengaluru, intended to ease congestion at Hebbal Junction — a major interchange connecting the airport with the rest of the city — has run into rough weather. At an estimated ₹1,385 crores (₹13.85 billion), the tunnel will cost about ₹622 crore (₹6.22 billion) per kilometre. The tunnel’s [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The proposed three-lane, bidirectional tunnel road in north Bengaluru, intended to ease congestion at Hebbal Junction — a major interchange connecting the airport with the rest of the city — has run into rough weather. At an estimated ₹1,385 crores (₹13.85 billion), the tunnel will cost about ₹622 crore (₹6.22 billion) per kilometre. The tunnel’s long-term benefits in terms of easing traffic congestion are, however, unclear. A recent analysis by the Sustainable Transportation Lab of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc ) points out that the tunnel is a “highly localised improvement” that “merely shifts the congestion point”, leaving bottlenecks at its entry and exit. The detailed project report or DPR shows that by 2047, the tunnel will operate at or beyond capacity in all scenarios modelled. According to urban mobility expert Satya Arikutharam, apart from creating more chaos at these bottlenecks, the tunnel “will also worsen the local traffic, the very problem it intends to solve. Faster arrival rate at these local road intersections due to the new short  tunnel capacity means quicker accumulation of traffic, queuing pile-ups and traffic jams,” he says. Groundwater and flooding concerns A bigger concern the citizens and environmental experts are raising is about the risks it could pose to groundwater and flooding. The little over two-kilometre tunnel will run from the Hebbal flyover junction in north Bengaluru — about 30 km by road from Kempegowda International Airport — to the Veterinary College. The DPR describes the proposed alignment as connecting the Hebbal flyover&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/bengalurus-hebbal-tunnel-raises-concerns-about-groundwater-and-flooding/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Centre tightens grip over mineral taxation, states cry foul</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/centre-tightens-grip-over-mineral-taxation-states-cry-foul/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/centre-tightens-grip-over-mineral-taxation-states-cry-foul/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Sep 2026 12:49:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vishal Kumar Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minerals]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/11112041/Alok-Putul-Hasdeo-coal-block-4-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40861</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Deforestation, Energy, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Rights, and Mining]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Among the 12 bills passed during the Monsoon Session of Parliament concluded in August, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 (MMDR Amendment Bill) has drawn the most opposition. The bill — which has far-reaching implications for Centre-State relations and the federal structure — was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Among the 12 bills passed during the Monsoon Session of Parliament concluded in August, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 (MMDR Amendment Bill) has drawn the most opposition. The bill — which has far-reaching implications for Centre-State relations and the federal structure — was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 10 and passed by a voice vote within two minutes on August 12. The statement of objects and reasons accompanying the Bill states that centre has assumed control over the regulation of mines and the development of minerals under Section 2 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, “in view of the larger public interest.” These amendments significantly alter the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, shifting authority over mineral-bearing land from states to the Union Government. States can no longer impose any tax, cess or levy on such land, whether based on mineral quantity, prices, royalty or any other basis, other than the terms or restrictions prescribed by the Centre. States had won this right to levy taxes following a 2024 Supreme Court ruling, which also ordered them to recover outstanding dues in 12 installments starting April 1, 2025. However, states will not be required to return the amounts already collected. Opposition parties allege that mining-rich states will suffer a revenue loss following the amendment to the MMDR Act. A bauxite yard in Lohardaga, Jharkhand. Image by Vishal Kumar Jain/Mongabay. The Ministry of Mines maintains that the amendment will&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/centre-tightens-grip-over-mineral-taxation-states-cry-foul/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Nepal’s flood disaster puts its hydropower-first strategy, exports to the test</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/nepals-flood-disaster-puts-its-hydropower-first-strategy-exports-to-the-test/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/nepals-flood-disaster-puts-its-hydropower-first-strategy-exports-to-the-test/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Sep 2026 15:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rudra Pangeni]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flash flood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nepal]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/10141820/nepal-flood-2026-3-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40837</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global, Himalayas, and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Dams, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Floods, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood, Glaciers, Global Warming, Himalayas, Hydroelectric power, Impacts of Climate Change, Mountains, Natural Resources, Renewable Energy, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Nepal’s long-held policy of harnessing hydroelectricity and using it for economic growth has met new challenges: potential catastrophic floods in the snow-fed rivers amid rising global temperatures. The August 26 floods that originated on the Nepal-China border, and that knocked out around 10% of installed power from the national grid, has prompted a debate on [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Nepal’s long-held policy of harnessing hydroelectricity and using it for economic growth has met new challenges: potential catastrophic floods in the snow-fed rivers amid rising global temperatures. The August 26 floods that originated on the Nepal-China border, and that knocked out around 10% of installed power from the national grid, has prompted a debate on whether Nepal should rethink its overall hydropower strategy or just adopt better-engineered plants. Amid this, the flood could jeopardise the country’s clean energy targets and push it to adopt more solar power. Immediate impacts The recent flash flood crippled a combined installed generation capacity of 281 megawatts, including a solar power plant, and damaged four other under-construction projects, totaling a capacity of 700 MW. One of the oldest hydroelectric plants, the 14.1-MW Devighat Hydroelectric Plant, commissioned 42 years ago, was wiped out. Further downstream, the flood badly damaged a 25-MW solar power plant, according to data compiled by Mongabay from official sources. Similarly, with a hub of a transmission line washed away on the Trishuli river’s banks, another 150 MW of power from different power plants is cut off from the national grid system. Transmission lines, including a substation on the Trishuli riverbank, were also destroyed. While officials are assessing the damage, estimates put losses at hundreds of billions of Nepali rupees, according to media reports. They say they can’t yet provide timelines for when the affected projects will resume generation. Around 983 engineers and workers are feared trapped inside the tunnels or power houses&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/nepals-flood-disaster-puts-its-hydropower-first-strategy-exports-to-the-test/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Red-naped ibises carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria, study finds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/red-naped-ibises-carry-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-study-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/red-naped-ibises-carry-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-study-finds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Sep 2026 15:47:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban lakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waterbirds]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/09132118/The-red-naped-ibis-Vijay-Kumar-Koli-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40801</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Cities and Towns, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Marshlands, Research, Waste management, Water Pollution, Wetlands, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Antibiotic resistance is not confined to people alone. Wildlife can also encounter and carry resistant bacteria, with birds picking them up from contaminated water, food, waste and other human-associated environments. As they move between habitats, they may spread these bacteria through their faeces, making them useful candidates in tracking the movement of antibiotic resistance in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Antibiotic resistance is not confined to people alone. Wildlife can also encounter and carry resistant bacteria, with birds picking them up from contaminated water, food, waste and other human-associated environments. As they move between habitats, they may spread these bacteria through their faeces, making them useful candidates in tracking the movement of antibiotic resistance in the environment. A new study of red-naped ibises in Udaipur, Rajasthan, has now found diverse bacteria in their faeces, including multidrug-resistant strains. The red-naped ibis is a common, resident, non-migratory wading bird that occurs across a range of habitats in and around Udaipur. It is also an opportunistic omnivore, consuming insects, amphibians, reptiles, small fish, livestock carcasses and occasionally plant material. The ibises have also been observed foraging at garbage disposal sites and on carrion. “It was not simply a matter of choosing a common and easily observable bird,” elaborates Vijay Kumar Koli, an assistant professor and in-charge head of the Wildlife Research Laboratory at Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, and a co-author of the study. “Its year-round presence, broad habitat use, feeding behaviour and frequent contact with human-influenced environments make it a useful species for investigating how environmental bacteria and antibiotic resistance may circulate at the wildlife-human-environment interface.” Nesting trees of the red-naped ibis in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The bird is a common non-migratory wader that is found across the city. Image by Kanishka Mehta. Sampling the ibises The researchers collected 45 faecal samples between July 2022 and June 2023, with 15 samples collected during each&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/red-naped-ibises-carry-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-study-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Snow leopards and their survival in changing times [Book Review]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/snow-leopards-and-their-survival-in-changing-times-book-review/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/snow-leopards-and-their-survival-in-changing-times-book-review/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Sep 2026 16:06:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Usha Rai]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow leopard]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/08142945/DSC_0942-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40779</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Ecology, Endangered species, Environment, Himalayas, In-situ conservation, Mammals, Mountains, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[If you want to know all about snow leopards, their range, food, love life, fight for survival in the fast changing high mountain landscape, impact of climate change and the struggle of scientists to get accurate figures on their population and spread, Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi’s The Ghost of the Mountains is a must read. It is [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[If you want to know all about snow leopards, their range, food, love life, fight for survival in the fast changing high mountain landscape, impact of climate change and the struggle of scientists to get accurate figures on their population and spread, Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi’s The Ghost of the Mountains is a must read. It is a fascinating, extremely well written book that blends research with graphic description of the landscape and allows us to witness a creature few have been privileged to see. “A flagship species of Himalayan conservation, snow leopards are key to preserving an austere, delicate ecosystem,” the book says. It has taken Suryawanshi 20 years to study the ‘ghost of the mountains,’ distributed in mountainous terrain of 12 countries that straddle the Himalayas and Central Asia. Despite the fast changing pace of development, the story of the snow leopard is one of hope. Snow leopards “are shy and their silvery-brown and white coats, marked with dark rosettes, work like magic cloaks offering good camouflage that enable them to disappear like smoke. They have furry tails, the longest of any cats, which they wrap around their bodies like mufflers on cold nights. The tails also work like the balancing pole of a tight rope walker as they manoeuvre around exposed cliffs. Their thick, wide paws, lined with fur, act like snow shoes and their unusually large nostrils help them warm the cold air they breathe and their small rounded ears minimise heat loss”. The author, who travelled across&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/snow-leopards-and-their-survival-in-changing-times-book-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Why is disaster risk increasing in the Himalayas? [Explainer]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/why-is-disaster-risk-increasing-in-the-himalayas-explainer/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/why-is-disaster-risk-increasing-in-the-himalayas-explainer/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Sep 2026 13:49:41 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate disaster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disaster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hindu Kush Himalaya]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural disaster]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/08111108/AP26250291785391-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40769</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Science, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Floods, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood, Glaciers, Himalayas, Human Rights, Impacts of Climate Change, and Mountains]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In a warming world, rising temperatures in high mountain regions are driving glacier retreat and melting, contributing to an increase in the number and area of glacial lakes. As glaciers retreat, they can create new lakes or expand old ones, sometimes contained by natural dams made of ice or moraines — ridges of rock, sediment [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In a warming world, rising temperatures in high mountain regions are driving glacier retreat and melting, contributing to an increase in the number and area of glacial lakes. As glaciers retreat, they can create new lakes or expand old ones, sometimes contained by natural dams made of ice or moraines — ridges of rock, sediment and debris left behind by glaciers. If these dams fail, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) can release huge volumes of water and debris, severely flooding downstream communities and infrastructure. In some cases, GLOFs involve rockfalls or the collapse of entire mountain slopes with cascading impacts. Or there can be avalanches — massive, rapid downhill flows of rocks, ice and snow. Scientists have improved glacier and lake monitoring in the Himalayan region, but large gaps remain in data collection, sharing and processing. This affects real-time early warning for river systems that run across international borders. In the aftermath of the recent Nepal flood disaster, this explainer looks at the relevance of these issues. What caused the August 2026 disaster in Nepal? Initial reports suggested that a massive mountain slope failure involving glacier ice in Nepal’s Langtang National Park, close to the Chinese border. The mass of debris and flood waters travelled nearly 100 kilometres, gathering more water and rock as it gushed downhill, swelling and overflowing streams and rivers. In Nepal, scientists at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and their partners investigated whether the event was a high-altitude ice-rock avalanche. Rock-snow-ice avalanches —&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/why-is-disaster-risk-increasing-in-the-himalayas-explainer/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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			</channel>
</rss>