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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/sustainability/</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>Nepal’s flood disaster puts its hydropower-first strategy, exports to the test</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/nepals-flood-disaster-puts-its-hydropower-first-strategy-exports-to-the-test/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/nepals-flood-disaster-puts-its-hydropower-first-strategy-exports-to-the-test/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Sep 2026 15:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rudra Pangeni]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flash flood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nepal]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/10141820/nepal-flood-2026-3-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40837</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global, Himalayas, and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Dams, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Floods, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood, Glaciers, Global Warming, Himalayas, Hydroelectric power, Impacts of Climate Change, Mountains, Natural Resources, Renewable Energy, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Nepal’s long-held policy of harnessing hydroelectricity and using it for economic growth has met new challenges: potential catastrophic floods in the snow-fed rivers amid rising global temperatures. The August 26 floods that originated on the Nepal-China border, and that knocked out around 10% of installed power from the national grid, has prompted a debate on [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Nepal’s long-held policy of harnessing hydroelectricity and using it for economic growth has met new challenges: potential catastrophic floods in the snow-fed rivers amid rising global temperatures. The August 26 floods that originated on the Nepal-China border, and that knocked out around 10% of installed power from the national grid, has prompted a debate on whether Nepal should rethink its overall hydropower strategy or just adopt better-engineered plants. Amid this, the flood could jeopardise the country’s clean energy targets and push it to adopt more solar power. Immediate impacts The recent flash flood crippled a combined installed generation capacity of 281 megawatts, including a solar power plant, and damaged four other under-construction projects, totaling a capacity of 700 MW. One of the oldest hydroelectric plants, the 14.1-MW Devighat Hydroelectric Plant, commissioned 42 years ago, was wiped out. Further downstream, the flood badly damaged a 25-MW solar power plant, according to data compiled by Mongabay from official sources. Similarly, with a hub of a transmission line washed away on the Trishuli river’s banks, another 150 MW of power from different power plants is cut off from the national grid system. Transmission lines, including a substation on the Trishuli riverbank, were also destroyed. While officials are assessing the damage, estimates put losses at hundreds of billions of Nepali rupees, according to media reports. They say they can’t yet provide timelines for when the affected projects will resume generation. Around 983 engineers and workers are feared trapped inside the tunnels or power houses&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/nepals-flood-disaster-puts-its-hydropower-first-strategy-exports-to-the-test/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/nepals-flood-disaster-puts-its-hydropower-first-strategy-exports-to-the-test/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The mine closes but the transition is far from over</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/the-mine-closes-but-the-transition-is-far-from-over/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/the-mine-closes-but-the-transition-is-far-from-over/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Aug 2026 16:22:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coal Mines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mines]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/17123529/6-scaled-e1786950421598-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40173</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jharkhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Coal, Environment, Environmental Economics, Forests, Fossil Fuels, Human Rights, Industry, Mining, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On July 24, barely 50 metres from the entrance to a coal mine in Bokaro, Jharkhand, smoke was rising from beneath the ground. A few trees around the spot were completely burnt, and the cleared patch showed signs of recent intervention. Mining here, at the the New Selected (NS) Dhori Underground Mine (UG), stopped about [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On July 24, barely 50 metres from the entrance to a coal mine in Bokaro, Jharkhand, smoke was rising from beneath the ground. A few trees around the spot were completely burnt, and the cleared patch showed signs of recent intervention. Mining here, at the the New Selected (NS) Dhori Underground Mine (UG), stopped about 15 years ago, after reportedly extracting around 1.8 million tonnes of coal. But the mine was formally listed as scientifically closed only on March 25, 2026. Santosh Nonia, 35, a resident of Makoli village near the mine, said dense smoke had started emerging from the same spot about three months earlier. He described it as a foul-smelling gas, followed by a major fire that burnt nearby trees. Several senior officials visited the site, he said, and the fire was brought under control after water was poured continuously for three days. Villagers had suggested digging up the area and filling it with sand as a permanent solution, but their suggestion was not accepted, Nonia said. “The smoke is still coming out. Very soon, it may become intense again,” he said, pointing towards the burnt patch. Just two days before this incident, on July 22, the Ministry of Coal had released Aaroh, its first annual report on scientific mine closure and repurposing. The report documents the closure of 42 coal mines and showcases ecological restoration, post-mining land use and community-oriented interventions at the sites. NS Dhori UG was the second mine in Jharkhand to be formally listed&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/the-mine-closes-but-the-transition-is-far-from-over/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Supreme court upholds centre&#8217;s power to notify post-facto clearance</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/supreme-court-upholds-centres-power-to-notify-post-facto-clearance/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/supreme-court-upholds-centres-power-to-notify-post-facto-clearance/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Aug 2026 16:28:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest clearance]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/07135307/AP22207426732440-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39949</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environomy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Conservation, Deforestation, Environment, Environmental Crime, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Forests, Industry, Land Rights, Law Enforcement, National Parks, Natural Resources, Protected Areas, Sustainability, and Wildlife Protection Act]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Supreme Court has struck down the centre&#8217;s 2021 Office Memorandum (OM) that created a mechanism for granting post facto environmental clearances to projects that violated prior environmental clearance norms. At the same time, it stated that the central government has the power to frame statutory amnesty schemes for specified categories of such violations under [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Supreme Court has struck down the centre&#8217;s 2021 Office Memorandum (OM) that created a mechanism for granting post facto environmental clearances to projects that violated prior environmental clearance norms. At the same time, it stated that the central government has the power to frame statutory amnesty schemes for specified categories of such violations under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. On July 29, the Supreme Court decided three connected writ petitions questioning the centre&#8217;s two amnesty schemes introduced in 2017 and 2021 to regularise projects that had started construction or operations without obtaining prior environmental clearance. The first scheme came through a notification issued in 2017, which gave projects that had violated prior environmental clearance requirements a one-time six-month window to seek clearance. In 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued an OM prescribing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for granting post facto environmental clearances to such projects. Delivering the judgment, the three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi said, “…the OM does not satisfy the test of proportionality and reasonableness and is violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution”. The Court quashed the OM, although the ruling will operate only prospectively, the judgement said. However, the bench also stated that the central government could exercise its powers under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to issue statutory notifications framing amnesty schemes for specified categories of non-compliant projects. Environmental experts said this leaves open&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/supreme-court-upholds-centres-power-to-notify-post-facto-clearance/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/supreme-court-upholds-centres-power-to-notify-post-facto-clearance/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Supporting infrastructure is the missing link in India&#8217;s ethanol push</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/supporting-infrastructure-is-the-missing-link-in-indias-ethanol-push/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/supporting-infrastructure-is-the-missing-link-in-indias-ethanol-push/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Jul 2026 12:39:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ethanol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ethanol blending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[petrol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[petroleum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vehicles]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/24105649/AP23242459662267-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39570</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biofuels, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Green Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Industry, Sustainability, and Technology]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This is the second part in a series comparing India and Brazil’s ethanol transitions. Brazil’s decades-long experience shows that producing ethanol is only half the challenge. This story examines the real test which lies in procurement, storage, transport and quality control, the systems that decide whether ethanol actually reaches the pump reliably. The first part [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This is the second part in a series comparing India and Brazil’s ethanol transitions. Brazil’s decades-long experience shows that producing ethanol is only half the challenge. This story examines the real test which lies in procurement, storage, transport and quality control, the systems that decide whether ethanol actually reaches the pump reliably. The first part looked at what that difference means for vehicle owners in both countries. At a petrol pump in Bhopal’s Katara Hills, a 40-year-old pump attendant smiles when asked whether customers talk about ethanol-blended petrol. “People come and joke, ‘ganne ka juice bhardo’ (Fill sugarcane juice),” he says, referring to E20 petrol, a blend of 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. In India, sugarcane is one of the main feedstocks used to produce ethanol. The sarcasm reflects the public conversation that has followed the rapid expansion of E20. Videos and posts circulating online have raised questions about the colour and quality of the fuel, its compatibility with older vehicles, and possible changes in mileage or performance. Government agencies and automobile manufacturers have disputed several of these claims. The debate has nevertheless brought attention to how ethanol is transported, stored, blended and tested before fuel reaches a petrol pump. Brazil’s ethanol mission seems to have inspired India to a great extent as the South American country often comes up in India’s ethanol debate, usually as a success story of higher blends. Interactions with people who run Brazil’s ethanol system bring out some crucial lessons for India. For Brazil, where&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/supporting-infrastructure-is-the-missing-link-in-indias-ethanol-push/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/supporting-infrastructure-is-the-missing-link-in-indias-ethanol-push/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Scientists test turning aquatic weeds into liquid fertilisers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/scientists-test-turning-aquatic-weeds-into-liquid-fertilisers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/scientists-test-turning-aquatic-weeds-into-liquid-fertilisers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Jul 2026 11:59:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organic farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/07104509/retiredlife-scaled-e1783401379419-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39022</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Himalayas, Lakes, Natural Resources, Nature-based Climate Solutions, Plants, Positive Environmental, Sustainability, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The uncontrolled growth of aquatic plants has become a major environmental challenge in Dal lake, an important freshwater lake in the Kashmir Himalaya. A new study has tested a way to convert these excess plants into fermented liquid fertilisers, offering a potential solution to manage weed overgrowth while producing a useful agricultural input. Dal, a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The uncontrolled growth of aquatic plants has become a major environmental challenge in Dal lake, an important freshwater lake in the Kashmir Himalaya. A new study has tested a way to convert these excess plants into fermented liquid fertilisers, offering a potential solution to manage weed overgrowth while producing a useful agricultural input. Dal, a culturally and ecologically important lake in Kashmir, has been showing visible symptoms of eutrophication, with runoff from surrounding areas, untreated sewage, and other pollutants adding excess nutrients to the lake and leading to the rapid growth of aquatic plants. While aquatic vegetation can be useful as food, medicine, and fodder, overgrowth disrupts water quality, alters ecohydrology, and threatens native biodiversity. “While the overgrowth of aquatic plants and algae blooms follows a seasonal cycle, the underlying decline in water quality is palpable year-round. We’ve seen the lake struggle under the weight of these excess nutrients, which is exactly why we are focused on repurposing that biomass into something useful for our land,” Kowsar Majid, one of the study authors and a professor in the department of chemistry at National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, told Mongabay-India. The study was published in ACS Sustainable Resource Management journal in March 2026. The findings are a proof of concept, with further studies needed to assess costs, large-scale feasibility and regulatory approval before the approach can be adopted widely. Majid explains that most previous work on Dal lake biomass has focused on solid soil amendments such as compost, vermicompost or hydrochar.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/scientists-test-turning-aquatic-weeds-into-liquid-fertilisers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Rethinking India’s climate plan through equity, delivery and intent [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/rethinking-indias-climate-plan-through-equity-delivery-and-intent-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/rethinking-indias-climate-plan-through-equity-delivery-and-intent-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jun 2026 14:15:53 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mohana ManimaranRavi Shankar Prasad]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate justice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wind Energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/23131848/AP24052670530069-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38776</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon emissions, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Fossil Fuels, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Industry, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The concept of &#8216;ratcheting ambition&#8217; now shapes global climate action. However, ambition is often measured using a single, uniform metric: comparing all countries against a common temperature goal. This approach overlooks countries&#8217; unique circumstances, development needs, shortage of climate finance, and historical responsibility. India released its third nationally determined contribution (NDC 3.0) in March. It [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The concept of &#8216;ratcheting ambition&#8217; now shapes global climate action. However, ambition is often measured using a single, uniform metric: comparing all countries against a common temperature goal. This approach overlooks countries&#8217; unique circumstances, development needs, shortage of climate finance, and historical responsibility. India released its third nationally determined contribution (NDC 3.0) in March. It is the climate pledge each country under the Paris Agreement files and is expected to ratchet up with every cycle. The latest NDC is for 2031-2035 and has been subject to a convoluted reading. A set of forward-looking commitments, with deliverable outcomes, and aligned with the long-term vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, has been characterised as moderate by many observers. Applying one standard to measure ambition contradicts the Paris Agreement’s principle of equity. Article 2.2 emphasises common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, meaning all nations must act, but those with the most historical emissions and greatest means should do more. Criticism of India’s new plan as &#8216;moderate&#8217; overlooks this principle and ignores India&#8217;s record of delivering on commitments. As the second Global Stocktake (GST2) is set to commence later this year, it is important to assess ambition in its broader context — taking into account equity, historical responsibility, the delivery of past commitments, and the overarching, holistic long-term vision to combat climate change. Viewed through this lens, India&#8217;s NDC 3.0 signals stronger ambition than many assessments suggest. Taking into account legacy emissions Cumulative CO₂ emissions data from the Global Carbon Project reveals a stark&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/rethinking-indias-climate-plan-through-equity-delivery-and-intent-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/rethinking-indias-climate-plan-through-equity-delivery-and-intent-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Urban Challenge Fund’s promise rests on implementation capacity [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/urban-challenge-funds-promise-rests-on-implementation-capacity-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/urban-challenge-funds-promise-rests-on-implementation-capacity-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 May 2026 13:22:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ravikant Joshi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[city planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/26112432/AP20255498403521-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38357</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Environment, Governance, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The much-awaited and delayed operational guidelines for Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) were finally released by the government of India on April 15. The scheme was needed as the Smart Cities Mission ended in 2024, and as the UCF scheme announced in the 2025 budget did not get off to a start. As a result, investment [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The much-awaited and delayed operational guidelines for Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) were finally released by the government of India on April 15. The scheme was needed as the Smart Cities Mission ended in 2024, and as the UCF scheme announced in the 2025 budget did not get off to a start. As a result, investment in urban areas suffered, as evidenced by reductions in budgetary allocations and, more importantly, in actual releases to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). Learning from the past shortcomings, UCF has tried to chart different ways, like expanding the range of agencies involved in implementing the scheme, encouraging market-based financing and various reforms to improve the financial sustainability of ULBs/other agencies, emphasising transformative projects, flexibility to reallocate funds to performing cities/states from the cities and states that may not be able to use UCF funds, etc. While welcoming UCF, which is studded with new features, it is necessary to examine the challenges it may encounter during implementation to ensure its success. Decoding the scheme’s design The scheme has a total outlay of ₹1 trillion for catalytic Central Assistance (CA) during the 2025–2030 period, extendable for another three years. Of this, ₹900 billion has been earmarked for project funding, ₹50 billion for project preparation and capacity building, and another ₹50 billion for the Credit Repayment Guarantee Scheme, which will be available to all tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The list of eligible projects spans three broad themes: Cities as Growth Hubs, Creative Redevelopment of Cities, and Water and Sanitation.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/urban-challenge-funds-promise-rests-on-implementation-capacity-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>How NGOs are bringing India&#8217;s informal waste collectors into the system</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/how-ngos-are-bringing-indias-informal-waste-collectors-into-the-system/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/how-ngos-are-bringing-indias-informal-waste-collectors-into-the-system/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 May 2026 16:49:06 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shoma Abhyankar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Simrinsirur]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dry waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[e-waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ewaste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Extended Producers Responsibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[metal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recycle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recycling]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/22151555/Formal-segregation-being-done-at-the-Karo-Sambhav-facility-in-Gurugram-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38324</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Environment, Industry, Sustainability, and Waste management]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Shambhu Yadav travelled far from his home in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, to Pune, Maharashtra, in search of work. With no formal training to speak of, he was left with an option that employs millions of the country’s population: waste collection. Yadav works for a kabadiwala — an informal scrap dealer — collecting all kinds of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Shambhu Yadav travelled far from his home in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, to Pune, Maharashtra, in search of work. With no formal training to speak of, he was left with an option that employs millions of the country’s population: waste collection. Yadav works for a kabadiwala — an informal scrap dealer — collecting all kinds of trash which is segregated and ultimately sold to bigger dealers. Even though he earns just ₹100-500 a day, Yadav is part of a lucrative industry valued at approximately ₹1.3 trillion. Since the early 2000s, electronic waste has entered the very same stream in hordes — landing in the laps of informal waste collectors who dismantle devices at grave personal risk. Around 845 km away from where Yadav is, in Padarayanpura in Bengaluru, Karnataka, another waste collector Sharvan, held up copper shards he had manually stripped from discarded wires. “This is like gold to us. The copper sells for ₹1,000-1,200 per kilogram,” he said. Despite playing an outsized role in India’s waste management, workers like Yadav and Sharvan lie outside the country’s formal recycling governance framework. A big reason why e-waste collection and processing stays with the informal sector is because formal facilities lack the capacity to process the sheer volume of e-waste generated in the country. Shambhu Yadav works for a kabadiwala (informal scrap dealer) in Pune, Maharashtra, collecting all kinds of trash which is segregated and ultimately sold to bigger dealers. He earns just ₹100-500 a day, being part of an industry that is&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/how-ngos-are-bringing-indias-informal-waste-collectors-into-the-system/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>The search for climate resilient coffee in a warming world</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-search-for-climate-resilient-coffee-in-a-warming-world/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-search-for-climate-resilient-coffee-in-a-warming-world/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 May 2026 10:25:37 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Meena Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm produce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/20232612/DSCF6417-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38279</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Food, Plantations, Plants, Sustainability, and Western Ghats]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Blending coffee and music comes naturally to Carnatic musician and coffee roaster Akshay Vaidyanathan. In 2019, he founded Kapikottai, a coffee brand he describes as a fun entrepreneurial experiment. A year later, he launched a new specialty coffee roast using Excelsa coffee beans, a less popular species of coffee.  While he introduced it as a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Blending coffee and music comes naturally to Carnatic musician and coffee roaster Akshay Vaidyanathan. In 2019, he founded Kapikottai, a coffee brand he describes as a fun entrepreneurial experiment. A year later, he launched a new specialty coffee roast using Excelsa coffee beans, a less popular species of coffee.  While he introduced it as a small, experimental batch, Vaidyanathan says, “It’s been an institution since then, and sells out fast. A lot of people don’t realise it is another species. They feel it’s just good coffee.”   That distinction may soon matter more than ever.  Both Arabica and Robusta, the two species that dominate global coffee production, face mounting stress from rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns. Temperatures above 30°C reduce yields, affect bean quality and increase plant stress, particularly for Arabica coffee, which is more heat-sensitive than Robusta. India grows both varieties, though primarily Robusta, largely across the Western Ghats. With changing climate conditions, researchers and farmers are turning to alternative and lesser-known coffee species. Among them is Excelsa. An overlooked species gains new relevance Excelsa (C. dewevrei), native to parts of Tropical and West Africa as well as Southeast Asia, has long existed on the margins of India’s coffee landscape. The trees, often planted as boundary markers or for shade, can be found in South and Northeast India. However, they were never widely commercialised for coffee production.    As erratic weather patterns threaten coffee production, researchers and farmers are turning to more climate resilient coffee species like Excelsa (Coffea dewevrei).&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-search-for-climate-resilient-coffee-in-a-warming-world/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>While the world hesitates, India must continue leading on climate [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/while-the-world-hesitates-india-must-continue-leading-on-climate-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/while-the-world-hesitates-india-must-continue-leading-on-climate-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 May 2026 12:21:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Minal PathakVaibhav Chaturvedi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/12102052/AP26110297264780-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38125</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon emissions, Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Science, Energy, Human Rights, Renewable Energy, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India is already brushing up against record electricity demand weeks before the peak of summer, with consumption nearing a record 256 gigawatts in April as an intense heatwave sweeps across large parts of the country. Temperatures in central and southern regions are climbing well into the mid-40s, pushing cooling demand and straining power systems earlier [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India is already brushing up against record electricity demand weeks before the peak of summer, with consumption nearing a record 256 gigawatts in April as an intense heatwave sweeps across large parts of the country. Temperatures in central and southern regions are climbing well into the mid-40s, pushing cooling demand and straining power systems earlier than usual. These accelerating extremes coincide with India&#8217;s unveiling of its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for 2035 at a moment of geopolitical uncertainty. The opening months of 2026 have also underscored how fractured the global climate consensus has become. Some countries are wavering on climate commitments, even as 2025 closed with a grim roll-call of climate records, disasters, and missed targets worldwide. With global tensions disrupting energy markets and exposing the fragility of fuel supply chains, one message is clear: climate ambition today is inseparable from energy security. India’s climate choices are now about securing growth, stability, and strategic autonomy, and they carry unusual weight going forward. India must now move decisively from targets to systems that protect its growth and credibility in the Global South. There are some steps that India can take on this pathway. Embedding science and development at the core First, public policy must be guided by the best available evidence. Across the world, scientists are increasingly questioned even as environmental decisions are taken as short-term fixes. Such choices, whether on air quality, energy, or climate policy, affect not just present welfare but future generations. The question is simple: what&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/while-the-world-hesitates-india-must-continue-leading-on-climate-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Pollution and poor infrastructure remain barriers to cyclists in India</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/pollution-and-poor-infrastructure-remain-barriers-to-cyclists-in-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/pollution-and-poor-infrastructure-remain-barriers-to-cyclists-in-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 May 2026 17:22:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aisiri Amin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[city planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cycling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban transport]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/08153957/1-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38079</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Cities and Towns, Environment, Human Rights, People, Pollution, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 2025, a district collector, a Union Minister, and a cycling advocacy group were motivated by the same thought: cycling for a pollution-free future. At the beginning of the year, BYCS India Foundation, a cycling advocacy group, urged major political parties to prioritise making Delhi a bicycle-friendly city. In August, Union Minister for Youth Affairs [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 2025, a district collector, a Union Minister, and a cycling advocacy group were motivated by the same thought: cycling for a pollution-free future. At the beginning of the year, BYCS India Foundation, a cycling advocacy group, urged major political parties to prioritise making Delhi a bicycle-friendly city. In August, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, echoed the sentiment, framing cycling as “a solution to pollution.” And in December, Andhra Pradesh’s NTR District Collector G Lakshmisha emphasised the importance of cycling not just for personal fitness, but to reduce emissions. With more research highlighting that cycling can reduce pollution and move towards net-zero carbon goals, there has been a push to promote the familiar leisure activity as a climate solution. However, a new study, published in Nature Cities, examined bicycling culture in cities of four low- and middle-income countries — Delhi and Chennai in India, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Accra in Ghana — and found barriers including lack of physical infrastructure as well as policy, implementation and gender gaps. India is the sixth most-polluted country, according to the 2025 World Air Quality Report by IQAIR, with Delhi ranking as the fourth most polluted city worldwide. “Whenever air pollution rises in Delhi, the conversation turns to reducing vehicular emissions. The government and the media advocate using public buses and bicycles instead of cars. But this is ironic because the government acts as an advocate, but nothing is done to improve the actual conditions that discourage their use,” says&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/pollution-and-poor-infrastructure-remain-barriers-to-cyclists-in-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Municipal bonds need more than incentives to fund India’s cities [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/municipal-bonds-need-more-than-incentives-to-fund-indias-cities-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/municipal-bonds-need-more-than-incentives-to-fund-indias-cities-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Mar 2026 14:52:06 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ravikant Joshi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance Comission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Municipality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Cities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Union budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban governance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/11131415/AP20327500448440-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37238</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Environmental Economics, Environmental Politics, Governance, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Municipal bonds have become a matter of renewed interest with the announcement of a new incentive scheme by the Finance Minister in the Union Budget for the year 2026-27. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “To encourage the issuance of municipal bonds of higher value by large cities, I propose an incentive of ₹100 crore (₹1 [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Municipal bonds have become a matter of renewed interest with the announcement of a new incentive scheme by the Finance Minister in the Union Budget for the year 2026-27. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “To encourage the issuance of municipal bonds of higher value by large cities, I propose an incentive of ₹100 crore (₹1 billion) for a single bond issuance of more than ₹1000 crore (₹10 billion).” This is in addition to the current scheme under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), which incentivises issuances of up to ₹2 billion and supports smaller and medium towns. This is a welcome initiative, probably prompted by the fact that even after 28 years of the existence of municipal bonds in India, the instrument is still in its nascent stage. In contrast, municipal bonds are a major instrument in the U.S. The question is: Will this incentive scheme work? Is it a lack of incentive structure or larger structural issues that are responsible for its minuscule role? Municipal bonds are debt securities issued by cities and other local governmental entities to finance capital projects such as water systems, roads, or sewer networks. By purchasing these bonds, investors lend money to the issuer in exchange for periodic interest payments and the return of the principal at maturity. Broadly, municipal bonds fall into two categories: general obligation bonds, which are backed by the issuer&#8217;s overall financial strength, and revenue bonds, which are repaid from revenues generated by specific projects, such as&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/municipal-bonds-need-more-than-incentives-to-fund-indias-cities-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Community-led water conservation revives groundwater</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/community-led-water-conservation-revives-groundwater/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/community-led-water-conservation-revives-groundwater/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Feb 2026 13:31:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anjana V.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[groundwater recharge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water crisis]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/27105532/3.1.testing-for-microplastic-elements-in-the-well-water-at-Vidhya_s-residence-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37070</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community based conservation, Ecology, Environment, Groundwater, Rivers, Sustainability, Villages, Water, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On a January morning in Thuruthikkara, a village in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, 53-year-old Vidhya Manjush stands beside her open well, checking the water level. Unlike in previous years, the water level remains steady. A community-driven push for rainwater harvesting and water testing ensures that the water from Manjush’s roof is filtered and directed into the well, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On a January morning in Thuruthikkara, a village in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, 53-year-old Vidhya Manjush stands beside her open well, checking the water level. Unlike in previous years, the water level remains steady. A community-driven push for rainwater harvesting and water testing ensures that the water from Manjush’s roof is filtered and directed into the well, helping recharge groundwater throughout the year. A few years ago, this wasn&#8217;t the case. As soon as the rains would end, groundwater recharge would slow down and the wells in the village would start drying up. The people would have to wait two to three days for a tanker to bring drinking water, Manjush recalls. And even then, it wouldn&#8217;t be potable. &#8220;The water often had black particles. I filtered it through a cloth and boiled it every time,&#8221; she says. The Ernakulam district typically receives very high rainfall, about 3000 mm annually, primarily between March and October. However, in Thuruthikkara, soon after the rains, the wells begin drying up and run dry by January, forcing households to depend on water tankers. To overcome this seasonal dependence on tankers, the village residents set up systems for rainwater harvesting, rainfall tracking and water quality testing, to make better use of the rainfall and reduce their water woes. In 2018, volunteers trained at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) conduct chemical testing on well water in Thuruthikkara. Image by Suresh Thuruthikkara. When the residents came together Thuruthikkara falls under the Mulanthuruthy grama panchayat and is bordered&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/community-led-water-conservation-revives-groundwater/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Government opens up forest plantation to private sector, critics question its conservation value</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/government-opens-up-forest-plantation-to-private-sector-critics-question-its-conservation-value/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/government-opens-up-forest-plantation-to-private-sector-critics-question-its-conservation-value/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Jan 2026 17:33:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restoration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/28165013/18963522564_1e12625071_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36652</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Forest Rights Act, Forests, Indigenous Rights, Land Rights, Plantations, Plants, Reforestation, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In early January, the Union Environment Ministry issued a letter to all states and union territories informing them that private entities could lease forest land and carry out plantations for commercial benefit without paying any penalties, marking a shift in how India’s forests have been traditionally managed. Forestry activities, including plantations, have typically been carried [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In early January, the Union Environment Ministry issued a letter to all states and union territories informing them that private entities could lease forest land and carry out plantations for commercial benefit without paying any penalties, marking a shift in how India’s forests have been traditionally managed. Forestry activities, including plantations, have typically been carried out by the forest department, since forests are considered to be publicly owned. But the letter makes the application of India’s primary forest conservation law more flexible, by allowing non-government entities to lease forest land — with permission — for the purposes of restoration or silviculture, and reclassifying it as “forestry activity.” “This step would lead to partnerships between government and non-government entities to undertake afforestation on degraded forest lands and therefore will help increase India’s green cover,” an FAQ document regarding the provision, provided to Mongabay-India by a Ministry spokesperson in response to a series of questions, says. However, forest restoration experts have raised concerns about the conservation objectives of this change, as well as its implications for forest-dwelling communities who depend on forest resources. The amendment was brought in to “sustainably harness” forest resources with the possibility of profit-sharing, but also to “harmonise” existing laws with the newly launched Green Credit programme – a controversial scheme that allows private entities to generate credits from tree planting to meet legal compliances. “Planting trees is not the same as ecological restoration. Commercial tree plantation in natural ecosystems can actually be ecologically harmful. The documents in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/government-opens-up-forest-plantation-to-private-sector-critics-question-its-conservation-value/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/government-opens-up-forest-plantation-to-private-sector-critics-question-its-conservation-value/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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					<title>P.V. Shivaprasad talks about rice, food security and his fascination with plants [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/p-v-shivaprasad-talks-about-rice-food-security-and-his-fascination-with-plants-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/p-v-shivaprasad-talks-about-rice-food-security-and-his-fascination-with-plants-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jan 2026 13:18:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agrobiodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crop diversification]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food systems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paddy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional grains]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/01122600/Image-1_Shivaprasad-Lab-scaled-e1767250722512-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36313</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Food, Interviews, People, Plants, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[To say that rice is an important crop in India would be an understatement. India recently hit a milestone with its rice production. In 2024-25, the country’s rice output was 150 million tonnes, which is 13 million tonnes more than the previous year, marking the largest year-on-year increase in production. In 2025, India consumed about [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[To say that rice is an important crop in India would be an understatement. India recently hit a milestone with its rice production. In 2024-25, the country’s rice output was 150 million tonnes, which is 13 million tonnes more than the previous year, marking the largest year-on-year increase in production. In 2025, India consumed about 140 million tonnes of the grain, becoming the second-highest rice consuming country in the world. Amidst growing concerns of climate impacts and the challenges in cultivating rice, these numbers underscore the importance of protecting rice against all odds — and Padubidri V. Shivaprasad of the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, is on a mission to do just that. Shivaprasad is a recent recipient of the prestigious Tata Transformation Prize 2025 in recognition of his efforts to produce climate-resilient rice varieties using small RNA modification and epigenetic regulation. His research involves tweaking gene expression by altering the proteins that package DNA (histones) or small RNAs (RNA molecules which are about 19-31 nucleotides long and ‘silence’ or regulate gene expression through various mechanisms), thus making changes without modifying the underlying DNA. Through these targeted interventions, the researcher aims to tap into the strengths of wild rice varieties to improve climate resilience and enhance the nutritional properties of cultivated lines. Established in 2022, the Tata Transformation Prize is announced by Tata Sons and the New York Academy of Sciences. The Prize recognises Indian researchers who are devising science-based solutions and innovative technologies to address some of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/p-v-shivaprasad-talks-about-rice-food-security-and-his-fascination-with-plants-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>New UNEP report flags that adaptation ambitions don&#8217;t have the climate finance to support them</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/new-unep-report-flags-that-adaptation-ambitions-dont-have-the-climate-finance-to-support-them/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/new-unep-report-flags-that-adaptation-ambitions-dont-have-the-climate-finance-to-support-them/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Oct 2025 17:29:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adaptation Fund]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP30]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Developing countries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat waves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United Nations]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/31164641/IMG_2294-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35302</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Impacts of Climate Change, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As India battles rising heat waves, erratic monsoons and coastal flooding, a new United Nations’ report warns that the world is “running on empty”, referring to the lack of money for resilience, when it comes to protecting vulnerable communities and economies from climate impacts. The UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2025 finds that developing countries, including [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As India battles rising heat waves, erratic monsoons and coastal flooding, a new United Nations’ report warns that the world is “running on empty”, referring to the lack of money for resilience, when it comes to protecting vulnerable communities and economies from climate impacts. The UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2025 finds that developing countries, including India, will need at least $310 billion every year by 2035 to adapt to climate change, nearly 12 times more than the current international public finance available. With adaptation funding failing to keep pace, the report says the gap is widening just as climate risks intensify, threatening lives, livelihoods and public health. Adaptation means helping societies adjust to climate impacts through measures such as better water management, coastal protection and heat-resilient cities. The adaptation gap is the shortfall between what countries are doing and what is needed to safeguard people and ecosystems. As per the current trends, the Glasgow Climate Pact goal to double public adaptation finance to around $40 billion by 2025 will not be met, the report says. UNEP warns that this growing finance gap comes as the world faces more deadly heat waves, floods, and the spread of infectious diseases. “Climate impacts are accelerating. Yet adaptation finance is not keeping pace, leaving the world’s most vulnerable exposed to rising seas, deadly storms, and searing heat,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his message on the report. “Adaptation is not a cost &#8211; it is a lifeline. Closing the adaptation gap is how&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/new-unep-report-flags-that-adaptation-ambitions-dont-have-the-climate-finance-to-support-them/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Centring sustainability in a growing marathon culture</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/centring-sustainability-in-a-growing-marathon-culture/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/centring-sustainability-in-a-growing-marathon-culture/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Oct 2025 11:48:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aparna Ganesan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water consumption]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/28160615/Sugandha-Singhal-running-along-the-Khardung-La-Route.-Photo-Courtesy_-Ladakh-Marathon_Sugandha-scaled-e1761917485320-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35238</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Ladakh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Mountains, Plastic, Sustainability, Waste management, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“You run your own race in the mountains and you’re not bigger than the ecosystem in any manner,” said Anmol Lonia, 33, a runner from Bengaluru who recently participated in the 42-kilometre race in the Ladakh Marathon. The Ladakh Marathon, one of the most popular high-altitude marathons in the world, has six races ranging from [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“You run your own race in the mountains and you’re not bigger than the ecosystem in any manner,” said Anmol Lonia, 33, a runner from Bengaluru who recently participated in the 42-kilometre race in the Ladakh Marathon. The Ladakh Marathon, one of the most popular high-altitude marathons in the world, has six races ranging from five kilometres to 122 km where athletes run at an altitude of 3,170 to 5,374 metres (10,400 to 17,631 feet). It takes place every year from early to mid-September. Running in Ladakh is no easy feat. “You’re running on 50% less oxygen and so the challenges are unimaginable,” explained Chewang Motup, co-founder of Rimo Expeditions, which organises the marathon. But organising a marathon there successfully for 12 years is a laborious task too. Ladakh is a high-altitude, cold desert that has been susceptible to the effects of climate change over recent years. A 2024 study published in the Journal of Water and Climate Change revealed that rising temperatures, high variability of precipitation, and changes in rainfall patterns have reduced the groundwater reserves in the region. The organisers share that sustainability is one of the core ethos of the event. “We give equal importance to running and the environment, and that&#8217;s the only way forward for a place like Ladakh. We don&#8217;t have a choice,” said Motup. Tsewang Kundan, the winner of Khardung La Challenge, while running the marathon. Image by Aparna Ganesan. Steps to sustainability One of the steps that the organisers have taken this&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/centring-sustainability-in-a-growing-marathon-culture/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>U.S. tariffs set to threaten India’s traditional craft revival</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/us-tariffs-set-to-threaten-indias-traditional-craft-revival/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/us-tariffs-set-to-threaten-indias-traditional-craft-revival/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Sep 2025 17:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shweta Thakur Nanda]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[textiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional crafts]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/26113717/1.-A-male-Artisan-making-a-handtufted-carpet-in-Bhadohi-Pic-courtesy-Aslam-Mahboob-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34796</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environmental Economics, Environmental Politics, Industry, Politics, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It is late afternoon, and Chowk, one of the oldest markets of Lucknow, is bathed in the golden hues of dusk. Amid hurried footsteps drumming on cobblestones, the cries of vendors and the thick aroma of kebabs, a narrow by-lane leads to veteran embroiderer Zafar Ali’s weathered yet quiet kaarkhana (workshop) of chikankari and zardozi. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It is late afternoon, and Chowk, one of the oldest markets of Lucknow, is bathed in the golden hues of dusk. Amid hurried footsteps drumming on cobblestones, the cries of vendors and the thick aroma of kebabs, a narrow by-lane leads to veteran embroiderer Zafar Ali’s weathered yet quiet kaarkhana (workshop) of chikankari and zardozi. Sitting cross-legged on the cement floor, Zafar bends over an adda, a wooden frame stretched taut with fabric. With a hooked needle, he guides metallic threads through the cloth, bringing blossoms and vines to life. “When tariffs go up, we are the first to be hit. If the businessman doesn’t get orders, he won’t place orders with me. My livelihood dries up then,” says Zafar, referring to the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on textile imports from India. Zardozi and chikankari are artisanal hand embroidery techniques. While metallic threads, stones and pearls are used to create opulent designs in zardozi, intricate white thread work is done on light-weight fabrics in chikankari. “When a shock like this comes, buyers start shifting, orders start drying up and things fall apart,” says 33-year-old Zafar. In Srinagar, over 1,300 km away from Lucknow, Pashmina and handicraft manufacturer and exporter Mujtaba Kadri echoes a similar sentiment. “The U.S. is a primary market for us. Since the 50% tariff has come into effect, there is hardly any order. The previous shipments have gone, and there is no fresh order.  Right now, the business environment looks uncertain,” he rues. A similar situation&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/us-tariffs-set-to-threaten-indias-traditional-craft-revival/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A whole-system approach to cooling in a warming world [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-whole-system-approach-to-cooling-in-a-warming-world-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-whole-system-approach-to-cooling-in-a-warming-world-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Aug 2025 10:57:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Akash GoenkaPrima Madan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat impacts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat wave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/08/25104353/AP25132671553708-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34285</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Impacts of Climate Change, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Extreme heat is a reality for millions, especially in India. This is no longer just a seasonal discomfort; it is a public health emergency, an economic disruptor, and an equity issue. We need to move beyond quick fixes and emergency responses. It’s time for a more integrated, people-first approach that makes our cities, homes, and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Extreme heat is a reality for millions, especially in India. This is no longer just a seasonal discomfort; it is a public health emergency, an economic disruptor, and an equity issue. We need to move beyond quick fixes and emergency responses. It’s time for a more integrated, people-first approach that makes our cities, homes, and jobs safer and fairer in a warming world. The recent trend of rising temperatures is clear; 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded globally. Heatwaves broke records across the world; India was no exception. Once again this year, 2025, heat in India set an unprecedented tone. February 2025, typically a milder spring month, emerged as the hottest February in 125 years. The past decade has been India’s hottest, with more frequent and intense heatwaves affecting more states each year. High humidity is making the heat even more dangerous, pushing temperatures close to the human survival limit of 35°C; outdoor work becomes unsafe well before that. The impacts of extreme heat are unequal. Rising heatwaves highlight the stark ‘heat divide’ between those who can stay cool and those who cannot. Over 1.1 billion people lack access to cooling globally, including more than 300 million in India. With less than 10% of households owning air conditioners and 75% of the workforce exposed to extreme heat, the risk to lives and livelihoods is alarming. Population segments such as children, the elderly, women, and informal workers have little or no access to cooling solutions to help them cope. While&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-whole-system-approach-to-cooling-in-a-warming-world-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<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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			</channel>
</rss>