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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/habitat-loss/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:34:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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					<title>Audit exposes fundamental flaws in Green India Mission&#8217;s execution</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/audit-exposes-fundamental-flaws-in-green-india-missions-execution/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/audit-exposes-fundamental-flaws-in-green-india-missions-execution/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Aug 2026 19:47:08 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/24190647/AP26208520244982-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40378</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Carbon emissions, Carbon Offset, Carbon Sequestration, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Forestry, Forests, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Habitat Loss, Plantations, Reforestation, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[An audit report of the Green India Mission, one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, found that funds were consistently underutilised and that progress under the mission “remains negligible.” The Green India Mission aims to enhance forest cover, improve the quality of forest cover and ecosystem services, and scale [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[An audit report of the Green India Mission, one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, found that funds were consistently underutilised and that progress under the mission “remains negligible.” The Green India Mission aims to enhance forest cover, improve the quality of forest cover and ecosystem services, and scale carbon sequestration in India. In 2011, the mission aimed to fulfil these goals in 10 million hectares (mha) of land over a period of 10 years. In 2014, the Mission included afforestation on 2.8 mha of land by 2018 as a goal. But the mission’s performance has been set back by “fundamental weaknesses in planning and design as well as deficiencies in execution and monitoring,” says an audit report by the Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG), submitted to Parliament on August 12. According to the audit, out of the targeted 2.8 million hectares, afforestation interventions were made in approximately 0.15 million hectares, which is just about 5% of the goal area. Pooja Choksi, an ecologist and founder of Ficus Research Consulting said the CAG&#8217;s report was a timely &#8220;wake up call.&#8221; &#8220;It is an indication that we need to do things radically differently if we want to achieve our land use and forestry related targets, especially in a ecologically and socially meaningful way that ensures the longevity of these plantation efforts,&#8221; she said. Apart from poor implementation, the CAG found that activities carried out eroded the mission’s core objectives of restoring ecosystems at a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/audit-exposes-fundamental-flaws-in-green-india-missions-execution/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Disappearing grasslands impact bird populations, study finds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Aug 2026 16:37:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grassland ecology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nilgiri pipit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nilgiris]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/14123726/Nilgiri_Pipit_Anthus_nilghiriensis_from_Anaimalai_hills_IMG_2145-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40133</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Biosphere reserves, Birds, Conservation, Ecology, Encroachment, Endangered species, Endemic species, Forests, Grasslands, Habitat Loss, Shola-grasslands, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Up in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, the gradual disappearance of the region’s shola grasslands has changed how birds navigate the landscape, highlighting the importance of habitat connectivity in preserving endemic biodiversity. The shola sky islands are unique montane forests separated by rolling grasslands. They’re biologically significant because they host a large number species whose global [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Up in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, the gradual disappearance of the region’s shola grasslands has changed how birds navigate the landscape, highlighting the importance of habitat connectivity in preserving endemic biodiversity. The shola sky islands are unique montane forests separated by rolling grasslands. They’re biologically significant because they host a large number species whose global distributions are concentrated here. But changes in land use dynamics have caused a steady decline in the populations of certain birds in the region. Colonial-era plantations of exotic tree species like Acacia, Eucalyptus and Pinus, which are not native to this region, have invaded several parts of the sky islands. Between 1973 and 2017, the islands lost 516 sq km of grasslands and 63 sq km of forests. These diminished habitats have also exposed the limits of adaptability for birds. “Highlighting how land-use change shapes species’ connectivity provides a window into how species specialised to high-elevation grassland habitat types respond to habitat alterations,” said Chiti Arvind, Postdoctoral Fellow, IISER Tirupati and a co-author of a research paper studying the impacts of land use change in the shola sky islands on bird movements. Shola forests and grasslands in the Nilgiris. Image by Davidvraju via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Gains and losses The study covered approximately 2,900 sq km across the two largest sky islands — in the Nilgiris and Palani-Anamalais — at elevations higher than 1400 metres above sea level. The objective was to observe how habitat fragmentation impacted the movements of the seven most&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Himalayan pheasants face mounting human pressure</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/himalayan-pheasants-face-mounting-human-pressure/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/himalayan-pheasants-face-mounting-human-pressure/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Aug 2026 16:15:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kartik Chandramouli]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/11140304/Western-Tragopan-4-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40051</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Community based conservation, Conservation, Ecology, Encroachment, Grazing, Habitat Loss, Himalayas, and Hunting]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The white-crested kalij pheasant, a relatively adaptable bird, is under increasing pressure from habitat degradation, hunting and other human activities in the forests of the northwestern Himalayas, according to a study that looked at community perceptions of threats to the bird. The bird is listed as least concern by the IUCN Red List, indicating it [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The white-crested kalij pheasant, a relatively adaptable bird, is under increasing pressure from habitat degradation, hunting and other human activities in the forests of the northwestern Himalayas, according to a study that looked at community perceptions of threats to the bird. The bird is listed as least concern by the IUCN Red List, indicating it is common and widespread. Researchers say the findings are an early warning to conserve the region&#8217;s forests and other rarer pheasant species. Pheasants are a group of ground-dwelling birds belonging to the family Phasianidae. The Indian subcontinent is home to 51 pheasant species, of which 20 are endemic to the Indian Himalayas. They occupy habitats ranging from tropical forests to alpine meadows and are among the region&#8217;s most distinctive birds, known for their colourful plumage. Despite their ecological importance as indicators of forest health, many remain poorly studied and face growing threats from habitat loss and hunting. Among these Himalayan pheasants is the white-crested kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos hamiltoni). It is widely distributed across the western Himalayas, including Jammu and Kashmir and is listed in the least concern category in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. More adaptable than many other Himalayan pheasants, it occupies a range of forest habitats but relies on dense understorey vegetation for food, nesting and cover from predators. &#8220;The white-crested kalij pheasant is mainly found in mixed forests, coniferous forests, scrublands and near forest edges close to human habitations. Unlike most other high-altitude pheasant species, it occupies&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/himalayan-pheasants-face-mounting-human-pressure/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/himalayan-pheasants-face-mounting-human-pressure/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Fishers, naturalists worry about the impacts of turning a coastal wetland into a reservoir</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-coastal-wetland-could-soon-become-a-reservoir-to-meet-a-citys-water-demand/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-coastal-wetland-could-soon-become-a-reservoir-to-meet-a-citys-water-demand/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jul 2026 17:18:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Smitha T.K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban wetlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wetlands]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/13161843/4-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39239</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Coast, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Fishing, Floods, Habitat Loss, Lakes, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Narayanan R. stood on the muddy bund of the Great Salt Lake, watching a group of flamingoes pick their way across the shallows. He remembered standing in the same spot as a 10-year-old, knee-deep in water — the day his father showed him how to fish. &#8220;The flamingoes may not come next season,” he said. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Narayanan R. stood on the muddy bund of the Great Salt Lake, watching a group of flamingoes pick their way across the shallows. He remembered standing in the same spot as a 10-year-old, knee-deep in water — the day his father showed him how to fish. &#8220;The flamingoes may not come next season,” he said. “These pools will dry soon. A few hundred metres away, Gowriamma waded through the shallow waters of the lake, her fingers sifting through the mud for shrimp. “Everything depends on these small pools. We know this water through the mud and the thorns.&#8221; Located between Nemmeli and Kovalam in Chennai, the Great Salt Lake also known as Kovalam-Nemmeli backwaters, is a coastal wetland that spans 5,000 acres. The Tamil Nadu government plans to convert this coastal wetland into Chennai’s sixth drinking water reservoir: the Mamallan reservoir. Chennai currently supplies between 700 and 800 million litres per day (MLD) of water. The demand already exceeds 1,100 MLD and is projected to cross 2,500 MLD by 2035, according to the project&#8217;s environmental impact assessment (EIA). The Mamallan reservoir aims to supply 170 MLD for the city’s needs. The reservoir is designed to store 1.65 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) in a single filling and an annual storage of 2.25 TMC. However, for Narayanan, Gowriamma and many fishing families in the area, losing the Great Salt Lake means losing the only world they have ever known. “Who are we to change the contours drawn by nature?” Narayanan asks.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-coastal-wetland-could-soon-become-a-reservoir-to-meet-a-citys-water-demand/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-coastal-wetland-could-soon-become-a-reservoir-to-meet-a-citys-water-demand/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Petition accuses Wildlife Board Committee of rubber-stamping diversions with &#8216;no application of mind’</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/petition-accuses-wildlife-board-committee-of-rubber-stamping-diversions-with-no-application-of-mind/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/petition-accuses-wildlife-board-committee-of-rubber-stamping-diversions-with-no-application-of-mind/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jul 2026 17:01:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/10134024/AP22207426672059-scaled-e1783671210988-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39179</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Deforestation, Environment, Environmental Politics, Forests, Habitat Loss, Industry, Logging, Natural Resources, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A group of former forest officials, conservationists, and researchers have censured the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and a statutory body under it for approving development projects within protected areas with “scant ecological and scientific evidence” and “no application of mind.” A public interest litigation filed by the group in the Delhi High Court says [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A group of former forest officials, conservationists, and researchers have censured the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and a statutory body under it for approving development projects within protected areas with “scant ecological and scientific evidence” and “no application of mind.” A public interest litigation filed by the group in the Delhi High Court says the Standing Committee under the NBWL approved 97% of projects between 2014 and 2026, indicating a lack of “processual rigour” which led to the diversion of at least 95,724 hectares of forest land. The allegation comes amid a spate of changes made to national environmental norms to favour the “ease of doing business” — a stated goal of the incumbent BJP government. The petitioners include four retired Indian Forest Service officers, led by Prakriti Srivastava as well as eminent conservationists like M.K. Ranjitsinh, who played an instrumental role in drafting the Wildlife Protection Act, India’s primary wildlife protection law. The petition alleges the National Board for Wildlife — chaired by the Prime Minister — and its Standing Committee — chaired by the Union Environment Minister — acted with “total disregard of its (sic) constitutional duties and in violation of the very intent and purpose for which they were statutorily created.” A representative of Bhupender Yadav, Union Environment Minister and chairperson of the NBWL Standing Committee, declined to comment. The National Board for Wildlife was created in 2003 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to advise central and state governments on issues pertaining to wildlife. These&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/petition-accuses-wildlife-board-committee-of-rubber-stamping-diversions-with-no-application-of-mind/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Major mugger habitats lie outside protected areas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/study-finds-major-mugger-habitats-lie-outside-protected-areas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/study-finds-major-mugger-habitats-lie-outside-protected-areas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Jul 2026 13:11:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[critical habitat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crocodiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[muggers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban wetlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/06111444/A-local-fisherman-and-a-mugger_-the-Kollidam-River_-Jason-Dominic-Gerar-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39004</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Dams, Habitat Loss, Reptiles, Rivers, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[From the rocky gorges of Hogenakkal to the coastal marshes of Muthupet, the mugger crocodile has long inhabited the rivers, reservoirs and wetlands of the Kaveri river basin in southern India. A new study estimated that while there are about 2,209 square kilometres of potentially suitable mugger habitat in the river basin, only about 38% [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[From the rocky gorges of Hogenakkal to the coastal marshes of Muthupet, the mugger crocodile has long inhabited the rivers, reservoirs and wetlands of the Kaveri river basin in southern India. A new study estimated that while there are about 2,209 square kilometres of potentially suitable mugger habitat in the river basin, only about 38% falls within the existing protected area network, leaving much of the species&#8217; habitat exposed to human pressures. The study, published in the journal Ecological Applications, assesses mugger habitat across the entire Kaveri (Cauvery) river basin which stretches across parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and covers about 81,155 sq. km. in southern India. &#8220;The number that stays with me is 38%. Only 38% of the habitat our model identified as potentially suitable for muggers falls within the existing protected area network. That means roughly six in every ten hectares of meaningful mugger habitat is outside any formal protection, unmanaged, unmonitored, and subject to the full range of human pressures,&#8221; says co-author Nikhil Whitaker, the Research Director at Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology. Building a basin-wide picture The mugger is one of India&#8217;s three native crocodilian species and is found in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and marshes across much of the subcontinent. Although populations have been studied in river systems such as the Moyar, Kabini and Amaravati, researchers say conservation planning has lacked a basin-wide understanding of where suitable habitat occurs and what factors shape its distribution. “The CRB (Cauvery River Basin) has&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/study-finds-major-mugger-habitats-lie-outside-protected-areas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>As elephants venture to higher altitudes researchers track possibilities of conflict</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jul 2026 15:55:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephant corridors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elephant Movement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife corridors]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/03141812/Picture2_Camera-trap-capture-of-an-elephant-herd-above-3200-m-the-highest-known-altitude-of-elephant-presence.-C-WWF-IndiaArunachal-Pradesh-Forest-Department-e1783069319919-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38962</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Camera traps, Conservation, Elephants, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Human Wildlife Conflict, Land Rights, Mammals, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh may be present at higher elevations than previously thought. According to the new action plan on managing human-elephant conflict in the state, elephant tracks as well as a camera trap image of a juvenile elephant were observed at an altitude of 3,266 metres in the state’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, possibly the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh may be present at higher elevations than previously thought. According to the new action plan on managing human-elephant conflict in the state, elephant tracks as well as a camera trap image of a juvenile elephant were observed at an altitude of 3,266 metres in the state’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, possibly the highest recorded presence of Asian elephants in the world. The highest known record of an elephant (African elephant) is at around 4,000 metres, on Mount Kenya. Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh were previously known to be present primarily in the lower reaches and Himalayan foothills occasionally moving up to an altitude of 2,000 meters. However, this assessment found their presence at altitudes going up to 3,266 metres. The new action plan, released in May 2026, was jointly developed by the Arunachal Pradesh Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and WWF-India, to address human-elephant conflict in the state, threats to habitats and analyse whether elephant corridors are well-protected. Data was collected between December 2024 and March 2026. Officials examined elephant habitats where conflict was reported, and where crop or property damage had occurred. Why the altitude record matters According to Aritra Kshettry, who works with WWF-India’s Elephant Conservation Programme (ECP), elephants are not typically found at such high altitudes. The records of elephants at these altitudes gives clues about their movement outside of protected areas which helps predict potential interactions between elephants and humans. According to the action plan, elephant presence and crop damage have been&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Not jungles, jungle cats need open landscapes, says study</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/not-jungles-jungle-cats-need-open-landscapes-says-study/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/not-jungles-jungle-cats-need-open-landscapes-says-study/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Jun 2026 13:14:06 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manjeera Gowravaram]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jungle cats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small cats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wild Cats]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/11121703/image-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38610</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cats, Conservation, Habitat Loss, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new nationwide study mapping jungle cats’ distribution and estimating their population at a national scale finds that India has the potential to support more than 300,000 jungle cats. “We didn’t know much about jungle cats — their habitat associations, population status, interactions with tigers and leopards, or their role in illegal wildlife trade until [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new nationwide study mapping jungle cats’ distribution and estimating their population at a national scale finds that India has the potential to support more than 300,000 jungle cats. “We didn’t know much about jungle cats — their habitat associations, population status, interactions with tigers and leopards, or their role in illegal wildlife trade until this study,” says Kathan Bandyopadhyay, the study’s lead author. Drawing on more than 6,000 verified records, researchers mapped suitable habitat for jungle cats (Felis chaus) across India, largely using data from tiger surveys. The study has been published in Scientific Reports. The study found that jungle cats prefer warm, semi-arid regions with moderate rainfall and some human presence. Roughly 545,000 square kilometres of suitable habitat has also been identified. States such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat are likely to support large populations. Senior principal scientist at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Shomita Mukherjee notes, “Most researchers would not put in this kind of effort for a relatively common and small species.” A cat in the scrub and grass Jungle cats favour open habitats such as grasslands, scrublands, wetlands, and agricultural mosaics, while avoiding dense forests and urban areas. Their long legs and lean bodies help them move through tall grass, and their colouring blends into dry terrain. “The morphological features of the jungle cat clearly indicate that it is a scrub-dwelling cat,” Mukherjee says, though the species is often described as a generalist in their habitat preference.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/not-jungles-jungle-cats-need-open-landscapes-says-study/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/not-jungles-jungle-cats-need-open-landscapes-says-study/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Rethinking forest restoration beyond tree cover [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/rethinking-forest-restoration-beyond-tree-cover-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/rethinking-forest-restoration-beyond-tree-cover-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Jun 2026 12:19:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Dhanapal GovindarajuluJohan Oldekop]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[afforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dryland conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat degradation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restoration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tree plantation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/08095349/AP21185326184454-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38560</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Deforestation, Ecology, Environment, Forestry, Forests, Global Forest Watch, Habitat Loss, Plantations, Plants, Reforestation, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Since its launch in 2011, the Bonn Challenge has mobilised commitments to restore more than 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030, including India’s pledge to restore 26 million hectares. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) as a process that seeks to regain ecological integrity [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Since its launch in 2011, the Bonn Challenge has mobilised commitments to restore more than 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030, including India’s pledge to restore 26 million hectares. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) as a process that seeks to regain ecological integrity while enhancing human well-being. In practice, this means that ecosystem restoration should improve biodiversity, wildlife habitats and corridors, watersheds, and other ecosystem services. It should also strengthen local livelihoods, particularly through the provision of non-timber forest products and support for pastoral communities. Yet in practice, restoration is often narrowly equated with tree planting. This is partly because plantations can sequester large amounts of carbon, making them attractive for climate mitigation targets. India, for example, has committed under the Paris Agreement to create an additional carbon sink of 3.5 to 4 billion tonnes through afforestation and the expansion of tree cover. Many tropical countries use globally available forest-cover products to monitor and report restoration progress. However, these global products come with limitations because they are generated using different satellite imagery, training data, classification algorithms, and forest definitions. For example, the Global Forest Watch dataset, derived primarily from Landsat imagery, can produce substantially different estimates of forest extent and change compared with GlobeLand30, which is generated using Landsat and China’s HJ-1 satellite imagery. A recent global study comparing ten global forest datasets found that these maps agreed on only 26% of the globally mapped forest area. The&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/rethinking-forest-restoration-beyond-tree-cover-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Prioritise turtle conservation over tourism say experts after budget announcement</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/prioritise-turtle-conservation-over-tourism-say-experts-after-budget-announcement/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/prioritise-turtle-conservation-over-tourism-say-experts-after-budget-announcement/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Feb 2026 14:30:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[olive ridleys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turtle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turtles]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/18120501/5-e1771401420372-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36951</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Conservation, Ecology, Environmental Politics, Habitat Loss, Oceans, Reptiles, Tourism, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On a humid morning at Kolavipalam beach in Kozhikode, at one of Kerala’s earliest community-led turtle conservation sites, volunteer Abdul Rahman walks slowly along the fenced hatchery enclosure, scanning the sand for any sign of disturbance. Two decades ago, he recalls, this stretch of the coast regularly recorded dozens of olive ridley nests each season, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On a humid morning at Kolavipalam beach in Kozhikode, at one of Kerala’s earliest community-led turtle conservation sites, volunteer Abdul Rahman walks slowly along the fenced hatchery enclosure, scanning the sand for any sign of disturbance. Two decades ago, he recalls, this stretch of the coast regularly recorded dozens of olive ridley nests each season, attracting conservationists, students, and eco-tourists eager to witness hatchlings returning to the sea. Today, months can pass without a single nesting sighting. Just two days before this, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced, in her budget speech, a proposed “turtle trail” tourism initiative along the coasts of Kerala, Karnataka, and Odisha. “The minister talks about turtle tourism,” says Rahman, looking toward the rock-armoured shoreline. “But first, we need turtles. Almost every night, we patrol the beach and find nothing.” Kolavipalam once symbolised the success of community-driven marine conservation in Kerala, where local fishers maintained day-and-night vigilance against sand mining that could destroy hatcheries. Fishers here have long used turtle-excluding devices in fishing nets, and hatchery maintenance continues, but nesting numbers have declined sharply. Why sea turtles matter Sea turtles play a crucial ecological role in maintaining the health of marine and coastal ecosystems. By grazing on seagrass beds and controlling jellyfish populations, they help sustain marine biodiversity and support fish populations that coastal communities depend on for livelihoods. Nesting activity also contributes to nutrient cycling on beaches, enriching coastal vegetation and stabilising dune ecosystems that protect shorelines from erosion. Globally, all species of sea&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/prioritise-turtle-conservation-over-tourism-say-experts-after-budget-announcement/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Erratic snowfall and shrinking pastures threaten Changpa pastoralism</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/erratic-snowfall-and-shrinking-pastures-threaten-changpa-pastoralism/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/erratic-snowfall-and-shrinking-pastures-threaten-changpa-pastoralism/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Feb 2026 14:22:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Safeena Wani]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erratic weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fodder crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastoralism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/17120640/PICTURE-3-scaled-e1771310750848-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36922</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Rural Futures]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Ladakh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Habitat Loss, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Tsering Namgayal walks with a herd of Pashmina goats across the Debring plains of the Changthang plateau in Ladakh. The land stretches wide under the bright sun, as a cold wind sweeps across this trans-Himalayan high ground. Dust rises in small clouds over the herd as the goats, also known as Changthangi goats, tap the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Tsering Namgayal walks with a herd of Pashmina goats across the Debring plains of the Changthang plateau in Ladakh. The land stretches wide under the bright sun, as a cold wind sweeps across this trans-Himalayan high ground. Dust rises in small clouds over the herd as the goats, also known as Changthangi goats, tap the frozen ground and bleat. The air carries the scent of soil, grass, and pashmina wool. This visibly harsh and cold landscape has sustained the Changpas, the nomadic pastoralists of Changthang, for centuries. Their lives are intertwined with the changing seasons and movement of herds. However, these seasonal patterns are now changing. Namgayal pauses during a grazing halt alongside other herders. Among them is Tobgah Dorjee, who is preparing to leave Changthang, possibly forever. Tobgah plans to sell his 54 Pashmina goats and move to Leh, where he hopes to find work as a construction labourer. Between March and April 2025, Tobgah lost 80 Pashmina goats to extreme weather. Several Changpa families from the nearby Puga Valley were migrating towards Kharnak, a seasonal movement, when unexpected heavy snowfall buried the grazing grass. An extreme cold spell killed newborn goats, shrinking herds within days and turning a routine journey into a struggle for survival. Spread across 35,000 square kilometres, Changthang, that spans Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh in India as well as Tibet, is home to a scattered population of pastoralists who depend primarily on pashmina wool and dairy products obtained from the goats, for their livelihood. Across&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/erratic-snowfall-and-shrinking-pastures-threaten-changpa-pastoralism/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Migrant harriers emerge as unlikely gardeners of grasslands</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/migrant-harriers-emerge-as-unlikely-gardeners-of-grasslands/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/migrant-harriers-emerge-as-unlikely-gardeners-of-grasslands/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Feb 2026 13:53:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[migratory birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollinators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[raptors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seeds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife monitoring]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/13115959/52673351842_f26f96ca49_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36882</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Ecology, Grasslands, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Migration, and Plants]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Harriers are best known for their low, buoyant flight in a zig-zag, back-and-forth pattern while hunting for prey, and their spectacular ability to pass food to each other in mid-air. They are diurnal raptors, birds of prey active during the day, that have uniquely adapted to open natural ecosystems such as grasslands and wetlands. Part [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Harriers are best known for their low, buoyant flight in a zig-zag, back-and-forth pattern while hunting for prey, and their spectacular ability to pass food to each other in mid-air. They are diurnal raptors, birds of prey active during the day, that have uniquely adapted to open natural ecosystems such as grasslands and wetlands. Part of the Accipitridae family, these birds feed on small birds, rodents, reptiles, and insects. India’s fragmented savannah-grassland ecosystems serve as the wintering grounds for six of the 16 harrier species present globally. The subcontinent is home to the world’s largest roost of the near-threatened pallid harrier (Circus macrourus) and Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus). Most ecological studies on harriers in Asia have been limited to mapping their migration routes, roosting sites, population trends, and food preferences. In a recent paper published in Oikos journal, scientists from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) have demonstrated that migratory harriers contribute to the regeneration of India’s savannah-grassland ecosystems through a secondary seed dispersal method known as diploendozoochory. Diploendozoochory is an indirect seed dispersal mechanism where carnivores that prey on seed predators unintentionally consume the seeds in the digestive tracts of their prey and later expel them intact and viable for germination. Between October 2016 and April 2023, the research team collected 3,216 pellets (regurgitated mass of undigested food) from prominent wintering sites of harriers and recorded viable seeds of 137 plant species from these pellets. Seed dispersal is a fundamental process that shapes the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/migrant-harriers-emerge-as-unlikely-gardeners-of-grasslands/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Birds are declining even in undisturbed grasslands, raising climate concerns</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/birds-are-declining-even-in-undisturbed-grasslands-raising-climate-concerns/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/birds-are-declining-even-in-undisturbed-grasslands-raising-climate-concerns/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Feb 2026 15:44:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[critical habitat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grazing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat degradation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastoralism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow leopard]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/06135906/Himalayan-Snowcock_Kalzang-Gurmet-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36771</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Birds, Climate Change, Ecology, Grasslands, Habitat Loss, Himalayas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Before the sun rises over the jagged ridgelines around Kibber village in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti district, 43-year-old Kalzang Gurmet is already on the move. On days when the monitoring site lies far from home, he leaves around five in the morning, walking across open steppe and rocky slopes for three to four hours. The early [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Before the sun rises over the jagged ridgelines around Kibber village in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti district, 43-year-old Kalzang Gurmet is already on the move. On days when the monitoring site lies far from home, he leaves around five in the morning, walking across open steppe and rocky slopes for three to four hours. The early start matters. As the sun grows harsher, bird activity drops and sightings become fewer. “Subah ka time sabse achha rehta hai,” he says in Hindi. (“Morning is the best time.”) Kalzang Gurmet grew up in Kibber, studied history, completed a Master’s degree, and returned to the village. Since 2007, he has worked with the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), helping scientists document birdlife across one of the highest inhabited mountain landscapes in the world. Over the past two decades, Gurmet has played a key role in data collection and fieldwork. Along with Tanzin Thinley and other local field staff, he has walked the same transects summer after summer, counting birds in terrain where elevations exceed 4,000 metres and the growing season lasts only a few months. That continuity, the same places, the same methods, year after year, now tells a troubling story. The insights are documented in a study published in Ecological Applications in which the NCF researchers reports that bird densities declined across habitats, but the only statistically significant decadal decline was in the ungrazed steppe, the habitat facing the least direct human disturbance. Ungrazed steppe refers to high-altitude grassland kept free from livestock grazing,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/birds-are-declining-even-in-undisturbed-grasslands-raising-climate-concerns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Tribal leaders allege pressure to surrender land for the Great Nicobar project</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/asked-to-surrender-land-for-the-great-nicobar-project-tribal-leaders-say-no/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/asked-to-surrender-land-for-the-great-nicobar-project-tribal-leaders-say-no/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jan 2026 15:56:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Nicobar Island]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/23134353/AP25097301865042-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36599</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Habitat Loss, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Industry, Islands, Land Rights, Oceans, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Tribal council chiefs in Great Nicobar allege they were asked to sign certificates surrendering their ancestral land on the island’s west coast to allow for the development of the Great Nicobar island project. During a press conference on January 22, chiefs of tribal committees on the island said they were invited for a meeting by [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Tribal council chiefs in Great Nicobar allege they were asked to sign certificates surrendering their ancestral land on the island’s west coast to allow for the development of the Great Nicobar island project. During a press conference on January 22, chiefs of tribal committees on the island said they were invited for a meeting by the district administration on January 7, and then asked to sign surrender certificates in order to show support for the island’s development, which they have opposed since 2022. The Great Nicobar island project involves the construction of a transshipment container port, a large township, a greenfield airport, and a gas and solar power plant at a cost of ₹81,000 crores (₹810 billion). The land used to be occupied by the Nicobarese across 27 villages until the 2004 tsunami, after which they were relocated to settlements in Rajiv Nagar and New Chingenh, near Campbell Bay on the upper east coast. “When we were resettled, we were promised that we could return to our land after some time, but that never happened. The areas we have been relocated to are too small to do any fishing, cultivation, or even celebrate our festivals properly,” said Titus Peter, first captain of the Pulo Bhabi village, adding, “We want our lands to be returned to us, not asked to surrender the land. If we sign such a certificate, we can lose our land forever and nothing will be left for future generations.” A fisherman at work in Port Blair in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/asked-to-surrender-land-for-the-great-nicobar-project-tribal-leaders-say-no/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>The environmental costs of replacing mangroves with a road</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/the-environmental-costs-of-replacing-mangroves-with-a-road/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/the-environmental-costs-of-replacing-mangroves-with-a-road/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Jan 2026 15:51:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aisiri Amin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[compensatory afforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mumbai]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/21135608/Coastal_road_under_construction_Mumbai-e1768984031234-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36569</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Coast, Coastal erosion, Ecology, Environment, Habitat Loss, Mangroves, and Roads]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Dipti Dheeraj Bhandari, a fisherwoman from Mumbai’s Charkop village, has been worried for weeks. In mid-December 2025, the Bombay High Court granted permission for the Versova-Bhayandar Development Plan (DP) road, an approximately 26 kilometre arterial corridor that will cut through western Mumbai and impact more than 45,000 mangrove trees. “My entire family depends on fishing [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Dipti Dheeraj Bhandari, a fisherwoman from Mumbai’s Charkop village, has been worried for weeks. In mid-December 2025, the Bombay High Court granted permission for the Versova-Bhayandar Development Plan (DP) road, an approximately 26 kilometre arterial corridor that will cut through western Mumbai and impact more than 45,000 mangrove trees. “My entire family depends on fishing in these mangroves,” she says. “Without them, our life comes to a standstill.” The proposed road, which will run from Versova through the city’s western suburbs to Mira Bhayandar, is planned as the northern extension of Mumbai’s coastal road network, which currently runs from Marine Lines in South Mumbai to Worli. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) says the ₹18,000-crore project (₹1,802 billion), will relieve traffic on the Western Express Highway and significantly reduce travel time. However, the court’s clearance has triggered opposition from environmentalists, fisherfolk and citizens, who say that the loss of mangroves will severely affect the environment, their livelihoods and increase climate risks in one of India’s busiest cities. In its submission to the court, the BMC said that 103 hectares of forest land, mostly mangroves, will be affected by the project. Of the 60,000 mangrove trees in the area, the civic body proposed diverting more than 45,000 mangrove trees and the felling of 9,000 mangrove trees. Diversion means that land classified as forest land for mangroves will open up for non-forest use such as road construction which could lead to cutting of the trees in the area that intend to be compensated&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/the-environmental-costs-of-replacing-mangroves-with-a-road/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Shrinking Aravallis, rising dust pollution</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/shrinking-aravallis-rising-dust-pollution/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/shrinking-aravallis-rising-dust-pollution/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Jan 2026 14:39:49 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lekha Bandopadhyay]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aravallis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dust storm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat degradation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minerals]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/21121434/Image-3-e1768978312500-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36558</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Thar Desert]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Ecology, Environment, Habitat Loss, Mining, Mountains, Pollution, and Thar Desert]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India’s capital region is witnessing another smoggy winter with severe air pollution. As the Delhi government deploys various dust control measures in the capital, the hills of a shrinking Aravalli range — which guard India’s mainland from the dust of the Thar desert in the west — are caught up in a legal battle for [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India’s capital region is witnessing another smoggy winter with severe air pollution. As the Delhi government deploys various dust control measures in the capital, the hills of a shrinking Aravalli range — which guard India’s mainland from the dust of the Thar desert in the west — are caught up in a legal battle for protection. North India experiences five to ten dust storms annually between March and June, killing people, damaging property and worsening the already compromised air quality in the region. A recent study also found a positive correlation between rising temperature and increasing aerosol load in India’s atmosphere. “As per our analysis of satellite data from 2019 to 2023, the major aerosol hotspots in India are the regions of Ladakh, Western Ghats, Thar desert, Rann of Kutch, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab,” the corresponding author of the study Sangem Giriraj, told Mongabay-India. Experts point out that the degradation and mining of the Aravalli range is weakening a key natural barrier against desert dust, potentially worsening air pollution across northern India. Mining and dust “Obstacle dunes found on the western or Thar desert side of the Aravalli hills are the most compelling evidence that the Aravallis block desert sand,” says Chetan Agarwal, an independent forest and environmental services analyst, based on his analysis of Google Earth images. These dunes have formed over hundreds of thousands of years as the Aravalli hills slowed down the western desert winds causing deposition of the heavier sand particles, adds Agarwal.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/shrinking-aravallis-rising-dust-pollution/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Study identifies prime brown bear habitats beyond protected areas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/study-identifies-prime-brown-bear-habitats-beyond-protected-areas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/study-identifies-prime-brown-bear-habitats-beyond-protected-areas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Jan 2026 12:00:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bears]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[communities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastoralism]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/09103724/Himalayan-brown-bears-are-elusive-largely-nocturnal-and-occur-at-very-low-densities-making-direct-sightings-rare.-Photo-Credit-Niaz-Khan-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36409</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Ladakh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community based conservation, Conservation, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Himalayas, Human Wildlife Conflict, Mammals, Mining, Protected Areas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Himalayan brown bear remains poorly studied in its high-altitude habitats. Only an estimated 130-220 individuals survive across the Himalayas and Trans-Himalayan ranges of India and Pakistan. In India, the species is threatened by low population densities and isolated, insular groups. Its true distribution in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh has long been largely guesswork. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Himalayan brown bear remains poorly studied in its high-altitude habitats. Only an estimated 130-220 individuals survive across the Himalayas and Trans-Himalayan ranges of India and Pakistan. In India, the species is threatened by low population densities and isolated, insular groups. Its true distribution in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh has long been largely guesswork. A new study covering more than 35,000 sq km now fills that gap. “It provides the first large-scale, systematic assessment of brown bear distribution and habitat suitability in the region and generates evidence directly relevant to conservation and development regulation,” says Niazul Khan, corresponding author, and Ph.D. scholar at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Working in a harsh landscape The Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh forms a stark but ecologically rich habitat. Winter temperatures sometimes fall below -30°C, vegetation is sparse, and traditional agro-pastoralism relies heavily on shared rangelands. Over the past decade, this region has also been transformed by expanding road networks, defence infrastructure, renewable energy projects and fast-growing tourism. Western Ladakh, particularly the upper Suru Valley, Shargole and Zanskar Valley, is believed to support most of the Himalayan brown bear population. Yet, there had been no landscape-level assessment of its habitats or the environmental factors that influence where the species survives, until now. Since Himalayan brown bears are elusive, largely nocturnal and occur at very low densities, direct sightings are rare. “Consequently, our study involved intensive sign-based surveys of tracks, scats, diggings, and direct observations in a systematic fashion,” says Khan. Survey teams&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/study-identifies-prime-brown-bear-habitats-beyond-protected-areas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The grass that refused to die</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/the-grass-that-refused-to-die/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/the-grass-that-refused-to-die/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Jan 2026 11:58:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grass]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/08100102/6-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36386</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Environment, Grasslands, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Protected Areas, and Shola-grasslands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The hills of Eravikulam wake slowly. Before sunrise, the slopes are almost invisible, holding the last cold breath of night. Then a thin, colourless light appears over the rounded grass ridges and reveals shola hollows, rock faces, and faint animal paths. A Nilgiri tahr steps out near its main point Rajamala, pausing above a cliff [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The hills of Eravikulam wake slowly. Before sunrise, the slopes are almost invisible, holding the last cold breath of night. Then a thin, colourless light appears over the rounded grass ridges and reveals shola hollows, rock faces, and faint animal paths. A Nilgiri tahr steps out near its main point Rajamala, pausing above a cliff as if listening for something familiar in the wind. Located close to the famed hill town of Munnar in Idukki district of Kerala, Eravikulam looks inevitable today, as if these vast expanses of high grassland had always been destined to become a national park. Nothing about its present stability indicates how close it once came to vanishing under a file stamp at the state revenue department. Fifty years ago, the same slopes, now described as prime habitat of the highly endangered Nilgiri tahr, were listed as surplus land under Kerala’s ​m​uch-celebrated and revolutionary land reform programme. The grasslands that hold the highest concentration of Nilgiri tahr in the world, apart from supporting vast spreads of Strobilanthes kunthiana, known as kurinji or Neelakurinji, which blooms once in twelve years, were treated in official language as “vacant”, “idle”, and “available for redistribution” among the landless. When grass was treated as nothing In fact, the misunderstanding did not begin in the 1970s. It began much earlier, when colonial hunters arrived in their old plantation town, Munnar, with rifles. In British estate records, the high grass country above Munnar was referred to by names such as “top grass”, “spare&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/the-grass-that-refused-to-die/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Climate change shaped primate populations in northeast India</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/climate-change-shaped-primate-populations-in-northeast-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/climate-change-shaped-primate-populations-in-northeast-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Dec 2025 10:58:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anusha Krishnan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gibbon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[macaques]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[monkeys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeast India]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/22161725/Capped_langur-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36193</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ecology, Evolution, Global Warming, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Himalayas, Mammals, Primates, Protected Areas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The forests of northeast India are home to one of the richest primate groups. This region, one of the most biodiverse on the subcontinent, has 14 primate species, including the Phayre’s leaf monkey, hoolock gibbon, Bengal slow loris, and several species of macaques and langurs. What is the story behind this abundance? The answer seems [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The forests of northeast India are home to one of the richest primate groups. This region, one of the most biodiverse on the subcontinent, has 14 primate species, including the Phayre’s leaf monkey, hoolock gibbon, Bengal slow loris, and several species of macaques and langurs. What is the story behind this abundance? The answer seems to be climate change and time. A study, published in Ecology &amp; Evolution, reveals that historic climate shifts played a decisive role in how these primates evolved, dispersed, and adapted to changing forests. The work used genetic data on nine primate species along with habitat modelling to trace how past climate change drove changes in primate populations. “This diversity is a consequence of different evolutionary trajectories followed by various species. We have analysed four different genera and each has exhibited unique characteristics. This will allow us to gain a deeper appreciation for the wildlife and geography of the region and hopefully may inspire more conservation efforts,” says Mihir Trivedi, the lead author, who is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Washington. The results also indicate that population sizes of all the species included in this study have steadily declined, and their habitats have shrunk. As climate change continues to sculpt habitats with shifts in warming, cooling, rainfall, and vegetation patterns, now, at an accelerated rate due to global warming, studies such as this raise important questions about species-specific responses to climate change. Tracing the population patterns of the past indicate that species-wise conservation measures&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/climate-change-shaped-primate-populations-in-northeast-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Where the wild dog can roam</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/where-the-wild-dog-can-roam/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/where-the-wild-dog-can-roam/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Dec 2025 13:57:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dhole]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild dog]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/04114116/Asiatic_Wild_Dogs_44187676292-e1764828703447-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35887</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Mammals, Protected Areas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Once found in the alpine, temperate, tropical, and subtropical forests across Asia, the dhole, or Asiatic wild dog, has now disappeared from much of its former range. Known for its high-pitched whistles, coordinated pack hunts, and remarkable endurance, this wide-ranging carnivore now survives in only small, fragmented populations due to habitat loss, prey decline, and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Once found in the alpine, temperate, tropical, and subtropical forests across Asia, the dhole, or Asiatic wild dog, has now disappeared from much of its former range. Known for its high-pitched whistles, coordinated pack hunts, and remarkable endurance, this wide-ranging carnivore now survives in only small, fragmented populations due to habitat loss, prey decline, and increasing human pressures. A recent large-scale study has now mapped suitable habitats where these elusive wild dogs could persist. It spanned 12 countries within the dhole’s known range, grouped into three regions: Mainland China, the Indian subcontinent (India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh), and Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia). Researchers assessed which landscapes still provide the ecological conditions necessary for dholes. They then used MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) modelling, a computational method, to predict habitat suitability using 24 environmental variables (such as climate, ecology, geophysical characteristics, and human impact), which are known to influence the distribution of large, wide-ranging carnivores. “MaxEnt finds the probability of distribution across the landscape that matches only such environmental conditions, thus predicting habitat suitability only where supported by provided environmental variables,” explains Monsoon Pokharel Khatiwada, corresponding author of the study and member of the IUCN Dhole Working Group. The team compiled a dataset of 1,604 verified dhole observations recorded between 1996 and 2018. The data was provided by participants of a 2019 workshop co-organised by the IUCN Dhole Working Group, the IUCN Conservation Planning Specialist Group, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Kasetsart University, and Thailand’s Khao Yai&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/where-the-wild-dog-can-roam/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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