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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
		<atom:link href="https://india.mongabay.com/feed/?s=&#038;type=post&#038;topic=islands" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/islands/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:20:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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				<item>
					<title>Tribal council calls recognition of forest rights on Great Nicobar Island ‘false’</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Jul 2026 17:04:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Forest Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest Right Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest Rights]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/17135552/25717790891_a505e61f54_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Community based conservation, Conservation, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Industry, and Islands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Members of the Tribal Council of the Little Nicobar and Great Nicobar Islands have written to the Union Tribal Affairs Minister demanding the withdrawal of a certificate which claimed forest rights had been recognised and settled on Great Nicobar Island. The certification, issued in August 2022, enabled clearances for the Great Nicobar Island project to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Members of the Tribal Council of the Little Nicobar and Great Nicobar Islands have written to the Union Tribal Affairs Minister demanding the withdrawal of a certificate which claimed forest rights had been recognised and settled on Great Nicobar Island. The certification, issued in August 2022, enabled clearances for the Great Nicobar Island project to come through later that year. The ₹81,000 crores (₹810 billion) project includes the development of a trans-shipment port, military and civilian airport, solar power plant, and township along the island&#8217;s southern coast. The letter, dated June 30, 2026, was written in response to a statement by the Tribal Affairs Minister, Jual Oran, who said that “development and tribal protection are not mutually exclusive.” Approximately 130 square kilometres of the project-affected area falls on forest land, requiring the removal of close to one million trees. In their letter, the tribal chiefs proposed an alternative set of initiatives to meet their needs, including building basic critical infrastructure like hospitals, telecommunication towers, and footpaths. “Development will be achieved when those who have the power to make decisions and are duty bound to address our grievances don’t keep ignoring us,” says the letter. The letter demands that tribal rights to accessing forest land be legitimately recognised, and that the certification issued by the Andaman and Nicobar Island Deputy Commissioner in August 2022 be withdrawn. The Deputy Commissioner had issued a certificate claiming that forest rights over the project affected-land had been recognised, settled, and approved for diversion under the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Dung beetles find an unlikely refuge on an urbanising barrier island system</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/dung-beetles-find-an-unlikely-refuge-on-an-urbanising-barrier-island-system/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/dung-beetles-find-an-unlikely-refuge-on-an-urbanising-barrier-island-system/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 May 2026 13:36:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beetles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dung beetle]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/01131820/width_1118-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37985</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Insects, Islands, Oceans, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Barrier islands are narrow strips of land between the sea and the mainland, shaped and reshaped by tides and wind. They shield coastlines from storm surges, support unique biological communities and play an important role in nutrient cycling. A new study focuses on one such barrier island system in Kerala to examine dung beetles, insects [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Barrier islands are narrow strips of land between the sea and the mainland, shaped and reshaped by tides and wind. They shield coastlines from storm surges, support unique biological communities and play an important role in nutrient cycling. A new study focuses on one such barrier island system in Kerala to examine dung beetles, insects that play a critical role in keeping ecosystems functioning. Dung beetles break down and bury dung, contribute to soil nutrient cycling, improve soil aeration and hydrology, aid seed dispersal, and reduce parasite and disease loads. This study, at the Vypin-Kadamakkudy Barrier Island System (VKBIS), breaks new ground as it systematically studies dung beetles in a tropical barrier island. It is also the first such initial documentation of dung beetles in Kerala and the first study of the dung beetle subfamily Scarabaeinae in this barrier island system. “While designing the study, we expected clear differences in species composition, including the possibility of new records, given the island setting. We also anticipated lower species richness and abundance because the area is densely populated and rapidly urbanising,&#8221; says Chitra Rajagopal from the Department of Zoology, Nirmala College (Autonomous), Kerala, and the study’s corresponding author. &#8220;However, the VKBIS emerged as a surprisingly strong habitat for dung beetles, with species richness comparable to, or even higher than, many other natural ecosystems.” An urbanising island system The Vypin-Kadamakkudy Barrier Island System lies along the western coast of Kochi in Kerala. For the study, researchers sampled two subsystems: Vypin Island, the barrier&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/dung-beetles-find-an-unlikely-refuge-on-an-urbanising-barrier-island-system/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A generation strives to revive traditional healing</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-generation-strives-to-revive-traditional-healing/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-generation-strives-to-revive-traditional-healing/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Apr 2026 13:26:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Leesha K. Nair]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food systems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicinal plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/15105331/IMG_9850-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37703</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Food, Health impacts, Indigenous Peoples, Islands, Plantations, Plants, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“It is not the way it used to be,” says Saw John Aung Thong as he crosses rows of tall areca nut trees towards a clearing where his plant nursery once stood. This patch of land, now sparse, once held dozens of medicinal saplings in neat rows, awaiting planting. For the 54-year-old, the empty space [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“It is not the way it used to be,” says Saw John Aung Thong as he crosses rows of tall areca nut trees towards a clearing where his plant nursery once stood. This patch of land, now sparse, once held dozens of medicinal saplings in neat rows, awaiting planting. For the 54-year-old, the empty space represents more than a failed gardening experiment. It represents a stalled attempt to revive an old knowledge system that had sustained his community for generations. Set deep within Middle Andaman in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Webi village, where John runs a homestay named Koh Hee. Webi was also the first settlement for his community, the Karens, when they were brought to the islands from Burma (now Myanmar) by the British in 1925 as foresters and labourers in the timber industry. The Karens are a settler group brought to the archipelago by the British administration in the early 20th century to meet labour demands. Nearly a century later, while many communities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have blended culturally, the Karens have largely retained their distinct traditions, language, and rituals. But in recent years, their medicinal knowledge is quietly slipping out of practice. Flowers in the home garden of a Karen community member. The Karens are a settler group brought to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the British in the early 20th century to meet labour demands. Image by Leesha K. Nair. “My main motivation to bring back these gardens was my&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-generation-strives-to-revive-traditional-healing/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-generation-strives-to-revive-traditional-healing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Marine litter traps thousands of hermit crabs</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/marine-litter-traps-thousands-of-hermit-crabs/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/marine-litter-traps-thousands-of-hermit-crabs/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Mar 2026 12:37:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vandana K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crabs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine plastic debris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solid waste]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/10101339/7_Hermit-Crab_Little-Andaman_Vandana-K-scaled-e1773118507251-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37206</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Ecology, Human Wildlife Conflict, Islands, Oceans, Plastic, Pollution, Waste management, Water Pollution, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[If you stand on the soft silver sand on the aquamarine beaches of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, you can often see plastic waste washed ashore. When you bend down and look closely, you might find a tiny crab trapped inside a bottle. You might try to rescue the crab by shaking it loose, but [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[If you stand on the soft silver sand on the aquamarine beaches of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, you can often see plastic waste washed ashore. When you bend down and look closely, you might find a tiny crab trapped inside a bottle. You might try to rescue the crab by shaking it loose, but chances are that it has already died. This is not an isolated incident. Researchers recorded 4,783 instances from January to July 2024 where hermit crabs were entrapped in marine litter across 28 beaches in the Nicobar Islands, according to a new study published in January 2026. The study was conducted by Mayur Fulmali and Nehru Prabakaran from the Wildlife Institute of India. The researchers surveyed beaches across two island subgroups – Nancowry and Great Nicobar. &#8220;These small crabs are very important for the coastal ecosystem and in most marine litter studies, they are neglected,” said Fulmali. A plastic bottle with a hermit crab trapped inside, spotted on Trinket Island. The bottle orientation makes it possible for the hermit crabs to enter easily but exit becomes impossible due to the slippery inner surface and incline. Image by Mayur Fulmali. Approximately 4-12 million metric tonnes of plastic waste enters oceans annually, causing widespread harm. The study notes that Nicobar Islands are particularly vulnerable to marine debris because they are located near the Malacca Strait, one of the world&#8217;s busiest shipping routes. Various ocean currents transport enormous quantities of plastic waste from neighbouring countries and deposit it on&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/marine-litter-traps-thousands-of-hermit-crabs/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Green tribunal rules in favour of Great Nicobar Island project, citing &#8216;adequate safeguards&#8217;</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/green-tribunal-rules-in-favour-of-great-nicobar-island-project-citing-adequate-safeguards/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/green-tribunal-rules-in-favour-of-great-nicobar-island-project-citing-adequate-safeguards/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Feb 2026 13:59:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coastal Regulation Zone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Nicobar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Nicobar Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National Green Tribunal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NGT.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[port]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/17131003/Great_Nicobar_Serpent_Eagle_Spilornis_klossi_by_Shreeram_MV-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36928</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Environmental Law, Islands, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused to interfere with the environmental clearance for the Great Nicobar Island project, concluding that “adequate safeguards have been provided” for gaps in the clearance process. The order follows a lengthy court battle challenging the project’s compliance with coastal regulations, which prohibit the development of large projects in sensitive [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused to interfere with the environmental clearance for the Great Nicobar Island project, concluding that “adequate safeguards have been provided” for gaps in the clearance process. The order follows a lengthy court battle challenging the project’s compliance with coastal regulations, which prohibit the development of large projects in sensitive coastal areas. The NGT pronounced its order on February 16, after reserving its judgement for several months. The development of Great Nicobar Island has drawn sharp criticism from environmentalists, sociologists, and members of the Opposition for the destruction it will cause on the island, which is part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The ₹81,000 crore (₹810 billion) project includes building an international container trans-shipment port on a leatherback turtle nesting site, as well as an airport, gas and solar power plant, and township which will lead to the felling of a million trees. The government argues that the project will help India take advantage of trade routes along the Malacca strait, which would “counter the pressure being built by foreign powers’ growing presence.” In its order, the NGT said that “considering the strategic important of the Project [sic],” it found no “good ground” to interfere with the project’s environmental clearance, which was granted in 2022. Jairam Ramesh, former environment Minister and a vocal critic of the project, called the outcome “deeply disappointing,” in a post on X. “There is clear evidence that the project will have disastrous ecological impacts. The conditions for its clearance,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/green-tribunal-rules-in-favour-of-great-nicobar-island-project-citing-adequate-safeguards/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Development projects in small and micro islands need careful planning [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/development-projects-in-small-and-micro-islands-needs-careful-planning-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/development-projects-in-small-and-micro-islands-needs-careful-planning-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Feb 2026 12:52:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[R.J. Ranjit Daniels]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable development]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/02105926/Female_croc-e1770010218915-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36693</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Ecology, Endemic species, Evolution, Islands, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Charles Darwin may have been the first to observe and document evolutionary changes in island species and ecosystems. Evolutionary changes involve shifts in size, behaviour, reproduction, and physiology, driven by unique island factors such as fewer predators, limited resources and reduced competition. According to Darwin, in any small isolated area, such as an oceanic island, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Charles Darwin may have been the first to observe and document evolutionary changes in island species and ecosystems. Evolutionary changes involve shifts in size, behaviour, reproduction, and physiology, driven by unique island factors such as fewer predators, limited resources and reduced competition. According to Darwin, in any small isolated area, such as an oceanic island, the total number of species inhabiting it will be small. Yet, of these, a large proportion will be endemic. Predictable evolutionary changes are more often seen in island species than in their mainland relatives. This phenomenon is called ‘island syndrome’. Adaptive radiation (a process through which organisms adapt and evolve) in islands far exceeds the mainland. Competition is less severe. Evolutionary innovation is lower. Vulnerability to species invasions is much higher. Similarly, the size of islands constrains ecosystem development. Ecosystems are shaped by competition among member species for limiting resources — resources needed to grow, survive and reproduce. Competition leads to interdependence which in turn affects productivity. Since size determines the number of species that inhabit an island, it also limits competition, interdependence and productivity (amount of carbon fixed and stored in the form of biomass). A Nicobar pigeon. In an oceanic island, the number of species inhabiting it will be small, but largely endemic. Competition among them for resources is low, evolutionary innovation is low, meaning vulnerability to species invasions is much higher. Image by DickDaniels via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Size and ecosystem development The size of an isolated island is the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/development-projects-in-small-and-micro-islands-needs-careful-planning-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>A Lakshadweep island’s strategic value worries conservationists and fishers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jan 2026 21:19:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/27120512/A_catch_of_groupers-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36636</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Fish, Fishing, Islands, Land Rights, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“A thousand leopards in a forest patch the size of a football field!” This is how marine conservation researchers Rucha Karkarey and Vardhan Patankar described unusually large shoals of squaretail groupers (Plectropomus areolatus) gliding along the coral reefs, off the shores of Bitra, an island in northern Lakshadweep. In 2010, Karkarey’s team recorded densities of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“A thousand leopards in a forest patch the size of a football field!” This is how marine conservation researchers Rucha Karkarey and Vardhan Patankar described unusually large shoals of squaretail groupers (Plectropomus areolatus) gliding along the coral reefs, off the shores of Bitra, an island in northern Lakshadweep. In 2010, Karkarey’s team recorded densities of over 3,600 fish in over four hectares — an area roughly the size of five football fields. “This was between two and six times higher than any density previously recorded across south-east Asia,” recalled Karkarey, who is now a senior research associate at Lancaster University, U.K. Geographically, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep comprises 12 atolls, three reefs, and five submerged banks. Out of a total of 36 islands in the Lakshadweep archipelago, with a total area of 32 sq km, only ten are inhabited. Among them Bitra is a tiny shark-fin-shaped strip of sand that is home to just about 271 people. The island is 570 metres in length and 280 m at its widest point, with an area of 0.105 sq km. The smallest inhabited island of the archipelago with its ecologically-sensitive marine landscape, Bitra is now under spotlight. The Lakshadweep administration is planning to take over the island, because of its strategic location, its national security relevance, and the inherent logistical and administrative challenges associated with civilian habitation. The islanders however, say this is “land-grabbing” for tourism, trade and development, especially in the post-COVID-19 tourism boom. “The islanders have been fishing here for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<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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					<title>Researchers identify four species of sea butterflies new to India</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/researchers-identify-four-species-of-sea-butterflies-new-to-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/researchers-identify-four-species-of-sea-butterflies-new-to-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Nov 2025 10:15:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vandana K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/26224244/collage-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35788</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Coast, Conservation, Islands, New species, Oceans, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the fall of 2019, Kiran Shah was sorting through small bottles containing sand and rocks, which had been gathering dust for years in a lab located on a hilltop in Port Blair. These bottles with samples were collected by marine scientists in 2011. During this sorting exercise, Shah stumbled upon tiny brown shells, smooth [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the fall of 2019, Kiran Shah was sorting through small bottles containing sand and rocks, which had been gathering dust for years in a lab located on a hilltop in Port Blair. These bottles with samples were collected by marine scientists in 2011. During this sorting exercise, Shah stumbled upon tiny brown shells, smooth as glass, their size as small as the seeds of a guava, hidden in the sediment. Little did she know that she was about to find pteropods new to India. Pteropods are molluscs – invertebrates that do not have a backbone. There are two types of pteropods: sea angels (without shells) and sea butterflies (with shells). Shah’s description of four species of sea butterflies – Diacavolinia pteropods (D. deshayesi, D. grayi, D. mcgowani, and D. strangulata) discovered in Indian waters for the first time – was recently published in the journal Zoologischer Anzeiger. These species have been previously reported only from the Atlantic, Pacific, Caribbean, and Banda Seas. Pteropods play a crucial role in the marine food web and carbon cycling, apart from being indicators of ocean acidification. This discovery increases India&#8217;s pteropod species count from 22 to 26 and comes at a critical time when pteropod populations are showing signs of decline globally because of warming oceans. “The availability of pteropods signifies that the region of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has a healthy ecosystem,” said Shah, a marine biologist. The research was the subject of her PhD dissertation at Pondicherry University, supervised by P.M.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/researchers-identify-four-species-of-sea-butterflies-new-to-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>India needs a marine litter policy as plastic waste chokes corals</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/india-needs-a-marine-litter-policy-as-plastic-waste-chokes-corals/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/india-needs-a-marine-litter-policy-as-plastic-waste-chokes-corals/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Sep 2025 13:29:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[T. V. Padma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine debris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine plastic debris]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/19123751/Coral_reef_Elephant_Beach_Andaman_07-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34699</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Coral Reefs, Fishing, Islands, Oceans, Plastic, Pollution, Waste management, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Plastic debris and derelict fishing gear are “entangling” and “smothering” corals reefs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that are home to some of India’s most pristine coral reefs and with endemic fauna and flora, a new marine survey shows. The survey aimed to provide critical data on the impacts of marine litter and derelict [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Plastic debris and derelict fishing gear are “entangling” and “smothering” corals reefs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that are home to some of India’s most pristine coral reefs and with endemic fauna and flora, a new marine survey shows. The survey aimed to provide critical data on the impacts of marine litter and derelict fishing gear on the critically endangered coral reefs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, recognised as highly biodiverse yet underrepresented in global marine pollution studies. The findings add to recent studies highlighting an increasing amount of plastic litter and derelict fishing gear in global oceans, which pose significant threats to corals and reef-associated marine biota. The survey, published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, was conducted by the Mahatma Gandhi Government College in Andaman and Nicobar Islands; regional centres under the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in Port Blair and Thiruvanathapuram; the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s National Institute of Oceanography, Goa; and Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad. Plastic was the most dominant litter, forming about 60% of the litter in the reefs, the survey found. Derelict fishing gear made mostly of plastic comprised about one-third of the total litter. Indicators such as the plastic abundance index (PAI), hazardous item index (HII), and clean environment index (CEI) to assess the ecological impact of marine litter highlighted “significant risks” posed by marine litter to the reefs. The scientists report that their findings help “strengthen the assessment&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/india-needs-a-marine-litter-policy-as-plastic-waste-chokes-corals/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Court submission challenges ‘confidential’ report on the Great Nicobar Island plan</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-new-submission-challenges-confidential-report-on-the-great-nicobar-island-plan/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-new-submission-challenges-confidential-report-on-the-great-nicobar-island-plan/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Aug 2025 16:18:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coastal Regulation Zone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[earthquake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Nicobar]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/08/27143234/155711087_43890ea788_o-768x464.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34331</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Coastal erosion, Coral Reefs, Environment, Environmental Crime, Environmental Politics, and Islands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A submission by activist Ashish Kothari in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has challenged the confidential status of a report which clears the way for a trans-shipment port on the biodiverse Great Nicobar Island. The report — which hasn’t been publicly released — abruptly concluded that parts of the planned mega port no longer fell [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A submission by activist Ashish Kothari in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has challenged the confidential status of a report which clears the way for a trans-shipment port on the biodiverse Great Nicobar Island. The report — which hasn’t been publicly released — abruptly concluded that parts of the planned mega port no longer fell in an ecologically fragile no-development zone. However, the port’s construction could destroy coral reefs and turtle and megapod habitats. The government envisions building a trans-shipment container port, township, greenfield airport and solar and gas power plant on the Great Nicobar Island. Despite criticism from environmentalists, bureaucrats, opposition party leaders and international conservation groups, the government has pushed for the project citing its strategic location — close to key trade routes along the Malacca strait. In 2023, The National Green Tribunal ordered the government to constitute a High Powered Committee (HPC) to “revisit” the project’s environmental clearance, based on “certain deficiencies” pointed out in Kothari’s petition. The Union Environment Ministry granted the project clearance in 2022, based on several conditions. Citing the island’s coastal maps and existing rules under the Island Coastal Regulation Zone notification 2019, Kothari’s petition pointed out that seven square kilometres of the project fell in the CRZ 1-A coastal area, where most development activities are strictly prohibited. Of the seven square kilometres, 0.63 square kilometres fall under the port and port reclamation — the first of the four projects to come up.  CRZ 1-A areas are those are documented to have coral&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-new-submission-challenges-confidential-report-on-the-great-nicobar-island-plan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>A fascinating book on India’s rivers and their travails [Book Review]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/a-fascinating-book-on-indias-rivers-and-their-travails-book-review/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/a-fascinating-book-on-indias-rivers-and-their-travails-book-review/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Jun 2025 17:23:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Usha Rai]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[River Interlinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yamuna]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/18074756/Hampi_Tungabhadra_River_India-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33215</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Dams, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Glaciers, Islands, and Rivers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Vaishali Shroff’s Submerged Worlds and Other Amazing Stories of India’s Mighty Rivers is a deeply moving exploration of India’s rivers. Well-researched and readable stories take you through their ecology, mythology, politics, history and culture. They highlight the importance of rivers in nature and society while telling you how they have been used, abused, neglected and abandoned. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Vaishali Shroff’s Submerged Worlds and Other Amazing Stories of India’s Mighty Rivers is a deeply moving exploration of India’s rivers. Well-researched and readable stories take you through their ecology, mythology, politics, history and culture. They highlight the importance of rivers in nature and society while telling you how they have been used, abused, neglected and abandoned. As Medha Patkar, the anti-big dam social activist says in her foreword, the book is like an encyclopaedia on rivers. There are stories on the death of rivers such as the Yamuna, encroachments on riverbeds, riverfronts and other infrastructure projects as well as construction of big dams on rivers leading to inhumane destruction and displacement. The book narrates threats posed by melting glaciers and polluted rivers. It tells you of blockages to the natural flow of rivers leading to floods in Mumbai, Chennai and Vadodara. The inspiration to write this book, brought out by Penguin, came when Shroff was driving long the Tehri dam, India’s highest dam at 855 feet on the Bhagirathi river in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand and saw the top half of a clock tower rising above the waters. The driver said it was the ghanta ghar of the old Tehri town which was submerged with about 125 villages when the dam was constructed. The driver’s home too was under the river. Having lost his livelihood and home he never thought he would be a tourist guide, showing people the place where his home lay buried. Shroff seeks to put&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/a-fascinating-book-on-indias-rivers-and-their-travails-book-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Pole-and-line fishing face new challenges with push for tuna fish exports</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/pole-and-line-fishing-face-new-challenges-as-push-for-tuna-fish-exports-rise/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/pole-and-line-fishing-face-new-challenges-as-push-for-tuna-fish-exports-rise/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Jun 2025 11:08:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artisanal fishing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/17075712/poleandline-fishing-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33179</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Coral Reefs, Fish, Fishing, Islands, Oceans, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 1961, former Air Force pilot-turned-civil servant Moorkoth Ramunni came to Lakshadweep, a remote archipelago of 36 islands in the Arabian Sea, as its new administrator. India’s former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had tasked him with improving the living conditions of people across the inhabited islands. While in Lakshadweep, Ramunni joined Hussain Ali, a resident [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 1961, former Air Force pilot-turned-civil servant Moorkoth Ramunni came to Lakshadweep, a remote archipelago of 36 islands in the Arabian Sea, as its new administrator. India’s former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had tasked him with improving the living conditions of people across the inhabited islands. While in Lakshadweep, Ramunni joined Hussain Ali, a resident of southern Minicoy Island, on a tuna fishing expedition. Here, Ramunni was captivated by the small-scale traditional pole-and-line fishing practice. The chance encounter with Hussain Ali, a well-known local advocate of pole-and-line tuna fishing, gave Ramunni a first-hand experience of this targeted fishing method that enables selective capture – it prevents capturing juvenile fish and species on the conservation list. The traditional fishing method, which originated over 1,000 years ago in the Maldives and spread then to Minicoy in Lakshadweep and a couple of Nicobar Islands, is now recognised as a significant sustainable fishing practice globally. Pole-and-line fishermen display their tuna catch of the day. The indigenous fishing method has grown to be recognised as an important sustainable fishing practice, leading to rise in its demand in Western markets. Image by K.A. Shaji. In Minicoy, recognising this low-profile fishing method as an example of an eco-friendly and sustainable fishing practice, Ramunni began advocating for this model to be adopted throughout the archipelago. This initiative has been important to protect the marine biodiversity of the seas surrounding Lakshadweep for the past 64 years. The main product of pole-and-line fishing is dried skipjack tuna, locally known as&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/pole-and-line-fishing-face-new-challenges-as-push-for-tuna-fish-exports-rise/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Reef islands in need of restoration</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/reef-islands-in-need-of-restoration/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/reef-islands-in-need-of-restoration/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Mar 2025 14:40:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reefs]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/03/14123803/RameshwaramScenicView-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31842</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Coral Reefs, Islands, and Sea Level Rise]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Afloat the turquoise waters in the Gulf of Mannar, along the Tamil Nadu coast from Rameswaram to Tuticorin, are islands that house the country’s richest marine biodiversity. More than 4,223 species of flora and fauna are found here. The region was named a Marine National Park in 1986 and the country’s first Marine Biodiversity Reserve [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Afloat the turquoise waters in the Gulf of Mannar, along the Tamil Nadu coast from Rameswaram to Tuticorin, are islands that house the country’s richest marine biodiversity. More than 4,223 species of flora and fauna are found here. The region was named a Marine National Park in 1986 and the country’s first Marine Biodiversity Reserve three years later. But there&#8217;s now trouble in this marine paradise. Two out of 22 islands have already vanished, with erosion threatening the ones that remain. A recent study of the islands in the Gulf of Mannar by the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography found that approximately 5.40% of the overall surface areas of these islands has reduced since 1973. Additionally, many of these islands are also experiencing erosion and accretion due to rising sea levels and ocean swells. How islands erode The islands in the Gulf of Mannar are spread across 10,500 square kilometres and divided into five main archipelagos: Rameswaram (one island), Mandapam (seven islands), Keelakarai (seven islands), Vembar (three islands), and Tuticorin (four islands). Poovarasanapatti, an island in the Keelakarai group, disappeared before 1973, and Villanguchalli in the Tuticorin group disappeared completely by 2000. Map by Wetlands International via Ramsar Sites Information Service. Accretion (growth) and erosion across these islands are mediated by a number of factors, including wave dynamics, wind speeds, the frequency and intensity of storms. Among the biggest factors, however, are ocean swells. “Ocean swells are long duration waves with higher energy compared to regular waves. We have seen a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/reef-islands-in-need-of-restoration/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>With Rs. 800 million sanctioned, committees begin monitoring Great Nicobar development project</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/with-rs-80-crore-sanctioned-committees-begin-monitoring-great-nicobar-development-project/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/with-rs-80-crore-sanctioned-committees-begin-monitoring-great-nicobar-development-project/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Feb 2025 11:17:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat loss]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/02/03114725/NICOBAR_MEGAPOD_-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31338</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environmental Politics, Habitat Loss, Islands, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Monitoring committees formed to overlook biodiversity conservation efforts, tribal welfare, and pollution resulting from the “holistic development” of the Great Nicobar island have begun their deliberations in preparation of the project, documents made public by the project developer show. The controversial development of the Great Nicobar island, part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, will [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Monitoring committees formed to overlook biodiversity conservation efforts, tribal welfare, and pollution resulting from the “holistic development” of the Great Nicobar island have begun their deliberations in preparation of the project, documents made public by the project developer show. The controversial development of the Great Nicobar island, part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, will see the establishment of an international trans-shipment container terminal, a dual military and civil use airport, township, and solar and gas-based power plant on the remote island, which is a UNESCO-recognised biosphere. Environmentalists, scientists, and former bureaucrats have publicly opposed the project, which will lead to the felling of nearly a million trees in the rainforest. Environment clearance was awarded to the project in November 2022, with a litany of conditions attached to mitigate impacts on endemic species and indigenous tribal groups residing on the island. The EC stipulated three committees be set up to oversee the project’s environmental management plan and “advise further on [the plan’s] implementation.” According to documents published by the project developer, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO), the committees held their first joint meeting in April 2024 after being constituted in 2023. As per the minutes of the meetings, Rs. 88.69 crores (Rs. 886 million) has been sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the preparation of conservation plans over the next year. In total, conservation, managing pollution, and tribal welfare are projected to cost Rs. 9162.22 crore over 30 years. Rain falls over the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/with-rs-80-crore-sanctioned-committees-begin-monitoring-great-nicobar-development-project/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Almost 20 years after the tsunami, Andaman’s mangroves are still changing</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/almost-20-years-after-the-tsunami-andamans-mangroves-are-still-changing/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/almost-20-years-after-the-tsunami-andamans-mangroves-are-still-changing/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Oct 2024 12:43:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mangroves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tsunami]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/10/02163235/image2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29727</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Islands, Mangroves, and Tsunami]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On December 26, 2004, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands changed forever. A tremor stirred 30 kilometres deep beneath the ocean floor in the Sunda trench off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. It reverberated into a deadly earthquake of 9.1 magnitude. Massive waves engulfed the entire archipelago. At least 250,000 people were severely affected. A tsunami, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On December 26, 2004, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands changed forever. A tremor stirred 30 kilometres deep beneath the ocean floor in the Sunda trench off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. It reverberated into a deadly earthquake of 9.1 magnitude. Massive waves engulfed the entire archipelago. At least 250,000 people were severely affected. A tsunami, the result of this tremor, was witnessed across South and Southeast Asia, and even distant East Africa. Human and socio-economic losses were brutal. To this day, we are yet to understand the full impact of this tragic event on the Andaman archipelago. The tsunami also impacted mangroves along the coast of the Islands. While initial reports recorded a 60-70 percent loss of mangrove cover, detailed studies reported a 97 percent loss. Twenty years after the devastation, the archipelago and its mangroves are still reeling from the aftermath. A study published in May 2024 monitored the long-term response of mangroves to the geomorphological changes left in the wake of the tsunami. North Andaman experienced coastal uplift (sea level drop or SLD) of approximately 1.3 metres, while South Andaman experienced coastal subsidence (sea level rise or SLR) of about 1.1 metres. Little to no changes were observed in Middle Andaman. Mangrove species are changing slowly but surely in the 20 years since the tsunami. “The uplifted sites mimicking the SLD scenario appeared more destructive to mangroves (tree density – 771/ha) in comparison to subsided sites mimicking the SLR scenario (tree density – 937/ha),” noted the study. The turning of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/almost-20-years-after-the-tsunami-andamans-mangroves-are-still-changing/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>National coastal body says Great Nicobar project no longer in prohibited zone, making way for a port</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/national-coastal-body-says-great-nicobar-project-no-longer-in-prohibited-zone-making-way-for-a-port/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/national-coastal-body-says-great-nicobar-project-no-longer-in-prohibited-zone-making-way-for-a-port/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Aug 2024 18:26:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Simrinsirur]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Nicobar Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NITI Aayog]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/08/22161725/Rain_over_Great_Nicobar_Biosphere_Reserve-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29122</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Forests, and Islands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India’s leading Opposition party, the Indian National Congress, has joined environmental experts and former bureaucrats in condemning the development of the Great Nicobar Island, saying it could have “catastrophic ecological and human consequences.” The central government is moving ahead with the project despite pending disputes on clearances awarded to it. The “holistic development” of Great [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India’s leading Opposition party, the Indian National Congress, has joined environmental experts and former bureaucrats in condemning the development of the Great Nicobar Island, saying it could have “catastrophic ecological and human consequences.” The central government is moving ahead with the project despite pending disputes on clearances awarded to it. The “holistic development” of Great Nicobar envisions setting up an international container trans-shipment port, airport, gas and solar power plant, and township on the remote island, at a cost of Rs. 81,000 crore and nearly a million trees. Legal proceedings in a case challenging the project’s environmental clearance revealed that the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) – an autonomous body tasked with supporting coastal management – “concluded” the project no longer fell in a no-go fragile coastal zone, which could facilitate the development of the port, the Indian Express reported. A previous mapping exercise by the NCSCM had found that parts of the project, including the port, fell in the “ecologically most sensitive” CRZ 1A zones, where most development activity is prohibited. The recent “conclusion” by the NCSCM, however, states that the project area falls in the CRZ 1B zone, an intertidal zone where ports and harbours are allowed. Despite the ongoing case in the National Green Tribunal, T. K, Ramachandran, secretary of the Ministry for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, told the media on August 4 that “there is no hurdle in its implementation,” and the government was going ahead with the project. The development of Great Nicobar&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/national-coastal-body-says-great-nicobar-project-no-longer-in-prohibited-zone-making-way-for-a-port/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>[Book review] Chronicle of an &#8216;ecocide&#8217; foretold</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/book-review-chronicle-of-an-ecocide-foretold/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/book-review-chronicle-of-an-ecocide-foretold/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Aug 2024 12:56:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[T. R. Shankar Raman]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disaster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Nicobar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nicobar]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/08/19102945/Caption-Tree-fern-forests-in-the-Great-Nicobar-Biosphere-Reserve.-Photo-Pankaj-Sekhsaria-min-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29021</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree, India's Iconic Landscapes, and The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environmental Economics, Environmental Politics, and Islands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Like the famous novella, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by the Colombian writer and Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez, the slim and punchy little book, The Great Nicobar Betrayal, augurs a coming death. The portentous subtitle, ‘Pushing a Vulnerable Island Knowingly into Disaster,’ foreshadows the contents: a collection of essays and articles on the wonders [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Like the famous novella, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by the Colombian writer and Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez, the slim and punchy little book, The Great Nicobar Betrayal, augurs a coming death. The portentous subtitle, ‘Pushing a Vulnerable Island Knowingly into Disaster,’ foreshadows the contents: a collection of essays and articles on the wonders of the island of Great Nicobar in the Indian Ocean and the impending tragedy of its developmental death. Here, the book declares, is a death about to unfold before our eyes. And this will be no ordinary death. It will be the death of over 130 square kilometres of some of the best-preserved tropical rainforests in the world. It will be the death of the most exuberant marine life and ecosystems our oceans have to offer. It will spell disaster for the vulnerable indigenous tribal islanders. The stakes are high. In Great Nicobar, the union government and its think tank, Niti Aayog, have envisaged a giant project estimated to cost Rs. 72,000 crore. The project involves the creation of a new trans-shipment port, a new international airport, a power station, a township that will occupy 160 square kilometres, and facilities to spur a surge in tourism. As the book tells us, all this will extract huge human and ecological costs. Great Nicobar is home to two highly vulnerable indigenous communities. The nomadic, forest-dwelling Shompen and the Nicobarese, who were internally displaced during the 2004 tsunami, stand to lose their traditional villages and territories to the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/book-review-chronicle-of-an-ecocide-foretold/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>The feral elephants of the Andaman Islands</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/the-feral-elephants-of-the-andaman-islands/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/the-feral-elephants-of-the-andaman-islands/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jul 2024 16:13:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bikash Kumar Bhattacharya]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[herbivores]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/07/10092738/Photo-1-Andaman-story-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28461</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Elephants, Islands, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Located about a thousand miles east of India&#8217;s mainland in the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman archipelago consists of several hundred lush islands known for breathtaking white beaches and unique biodiversity. Part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, the Andaman Islands harbour a total of around 9,130 animal species straddling both terrestrial habitats and marine waters. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Located about a thousand miles east of India&#8217;s mainland in the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman archipelago consists of several hundred lush islands known for breathtaking white beaches and unique biodiversity. Part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, the Andaman Islands harbour a total of around 9,130 animal species straddling both terrestrial habitats and marine waters. Of these, 1,032 species are endemic to these islands. Historically, the forests of the Andaman Islands have also been home to several tree species coveted by loggers: the highly valued padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides); gurjan (Dipterocarpus turbinatus), a straight and tall tree known for good quality timber; gangaw (Mesua ferrea) suitable for sleepers; and didu (Bombax insigne) for tea boxes. In the late nineteenth century, the British colonial authorities started a bustling timber industry in these remote islands. In 1883, the first sawmill was established with an annual log intake capacity of 20,000 cubic meters. Soon, with the loggers, these islands also saw the arrival of a new species: the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). Elephants from the Indian mainland and Burma were brought to Andaman to work in the logging industry. These beasts would drag timber from logging sites to the docks on the seashore. Elephants working in the timber yard of Hutbay, Little Andaman Island, in the year 1998. Image by Pankaj Sekhsaria. Large-scale logging continued in the Andaman Islands for over half a century after India&#8217;s Independence until it was banned in 2001. While the logging industry has become a thing of the past,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/the-feral-elephants-of-the-andaman-islands/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>[Commentary] Complexities of freshwater availability and tourism growth in Lakshadweep</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/commentary-complexities-of-freshwater-availability-and-tourism-growth-in-lakshadweep/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/commentary-complexities-of-freshwater-availability-and-tourism-growth-in-lakshadweep/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 May 2024 16:39:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Salahudheen]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/05/10191936/ISS038-E-45155-color-corrected-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27686</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Groundwater, Islands, Tourism, Water, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In mid-April, 2016, in Kadamat, Lakshadweep, there was a minor clash between people of two wards regarding pumping of groundwater from one ward to fill the water tanks of the other. The people from ward seven, from where groundwater was being pumped, allege that the continuous pumping from the wells of their ward depleted the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In mid-April, 2016, in Kadamat, Lakshadweep, there was a minor clash between people of two wards regarding pumping of groundwater from one ward to fill the water tanks of the other. The people from ward seven, from where groundwater was being pumped, allege that the continuous pumping from the wells of their ward depleted the freshwater in the wells and it has started tasting more saline. Eight years after this incident, in 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep, inviting Indian tourists to visit the archipelago. Amidst the hype following the Prime Minister’s visit, Lakshadweep’s administrator, Praful Patel, was asked in a media interview, whether Lakshadweep has enough rooms to accommodate increasing tourists, to which Patel replied, “We will build 300 rooms”. But the real question that remains to be asked and answered, is “Do you have enough water in the islands to afford a tourist influx or at least to support the local population?” Agatti island. Freshwater depletion and increased salinity has been a growing problem in Lakshadweep. Photo by Rajeshwari. Evolution of Lakshadweep There are 36 islands in Lakshadweep, the only coral atoll system in India, of which 10 islands are inhabited. Even though this is one of the smallest archipelagos in the world it hosts 64,473 (as per 2011 census) people within ten islands. The islands were formed from inactive volcanic mountains and corals created walls around the land area, known as coral reefs. The unique system of the coral atoll can be divided into three&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/commentary-complexities-of-freshwater-availability-and-tourism-growth-in-lakshadweep/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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