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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/tourism/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2026 06:31:30 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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					<title>Tourism, human disturbance linked to higher stress in tigers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/tourism-human-disturbance-linked-to-higher-stress-in-tigers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/tourism-human-disturbance-linked-to-higher-stress-in-tigers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Aug 2026 15:36:27 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[central India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tiger conservation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/11130814/AP914619961289-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40039</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Ecology, Human Wildlife Conflict, National Parks, Protected Areas, Tigers, Tourism, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India’s tiger reserves have become both conservation success stories and tourism magnets. Every year, thousands of safari vehicles enter India&#8217;s protected forests, generating revenue for conservation and local communities. But a recent study suggests that this growing human footprint may also come at a physiological cost for the country’s national animal, and may even influence [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India’s tiger reserves have become both conservation success stories and tourism magnets. Every year, thousands of safari vehicles enter India&#8217;s protected forests, generating revenue for conservation and local communities. But a recent study suggests that this growing human footprint may also come at a physiological cost for the country’s national animal, and may even influence where female tigers establish breeding areas. “Wildlife tourism is growing rapidly around our protected areas. It funds conservation, but more people also means more stress for the animals,” says Govindhaswamy Umapathy, chief scientist at the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, and the study’s corresponding author. “Earlier Indian studies looked at just one or two reserves and focused on stress. We wanted the full picture across the country, not only where tigers are stressed, but where tigresses choose to breed,” he adds. However, industry experts also caution against treating tourism as a bigger threat than habitat loss or large-scale development pressures. Tracking stress without disturbing tigers The study was conducted between November 2020 and February 2023, in five tiger reserves: Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand, Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, Kanha Tiger Reserve and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, and Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala. The choice of reserves was deliberate. “We picked the five reserves that between them cover very different tiger densities, habitats and tourism styles, including Periyar&#8217;s year-round boat tourism. That range is what makes the findings national rather than local,” Umapathy says. Rather&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/tourism-human-disturbance-linked-to-higher-stress-in-tigers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Dolphins tread the waters between tourist boats and fishing nets</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/dolphins-tread-the-waters-between-tourist-boats-and-fishing-nets/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/dolphins-tread-the-waters-between-tourist-boats-and-fishing-nets/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Jul 2026 16:03:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dolphins]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/21145702/Researchers-found-that-dolphins-were-more-likely-to-avoid-tourist-boats-as-they-approached-more-closely-or-surrounded-them-in-larger-numbers.-Photo-Credit-Imran-Samad-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39516</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and Making Waves]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Goa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Fish, Fishing, Mammals, Oceans, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For Indian Ocean humpback dolphins off Goa&#8217;s coast, fishing nets may offer feeding opportunities, while tourist boats often bring disturbance. A recent study, published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, examined how the endangered species balances these competing responses when tourism and fisheries overlap in the same waters. “Tourism and fisheries are among the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For Indian Ocean humpback dolphins off Goa&#8217;s coast, fishing nets may offer feeding opportunities, while tourist boats often bring disturbance. A recent study, published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, examined how the endangered species balances these competing responses when tourism and fisheries overlap in the same waters. “Tourism and fisheries are among the most common human activities in the habitats used by these dolphins. We were interested in how dolphins respond when they have to balance disturbance from boats with the opportunity to access food resources,” says Imran Samad, corresponding author of the study and a scholar at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science. Watching dolphins from above The study was carried out in north Goa between October 2023 and April 2024. The region supports relatively high densities of Indian Ocean humpback dolphins and also experiences intensive fishing and dolphin-watching tourism activity. Researchers monitored dolphin groups from elevated coastal vantage points. Once dolphins were sighted, they followed the animals using a drone, flown at a height of 60-100 metres above sea level. “Traditionally, dolphin behaviour is studied either from the shore using theodolites (monoculars used to estimate dolphin positions) or from boats. We used drones, which allowed us to observe animals from above and follow individuals and groups without directly disturbing them,&#8221; says Samad. Over six months, the team conducted 90 focal follows of dolphin groups and recorded 19 hours of dolphin footage. The footage was then analysed using machine-learning tools that tracked dolphin movements&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/dolphins-tread-the-waters-between-tourist-boats-and-fishing-nets/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Climate change and tourism are reshaping farming in the Himalayas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/climate-change-and-tourism-are-reshaping-farming-in-the-himalayas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/climate-change-and-tourism-are-reshaping-farming-in-the-himalayas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 May 2026 12:20:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rozita Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erratic weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weather patterns]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/14112402/AP19130602267775-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38167</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Food, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Land Rights, Mountains, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[​For generations, farmers in Bir village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district have relied on seasonal rhythms to guide when to sow and harvest crops. Today, many residents say those patterns no longer hold. ​“Earlier, the rains came at the right time. Now, when crops need sunshine, it rains instead. Summers have become hotter too,” says [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[​For generations, farmers in Bir village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district have relied on seasonal rhythms to guide when to sow and harvest crops. Today, many residents say those patterns no longer hold. ​“Earlier, the rains came at the right time. Now, when crops need sunshine, it rains instead. Summers have become hotter too,” says Sarla Devi, 60, a farmer and cattle rearer from Bir. ​Situated in the mid-Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, the Bir-Billing area has long supported small farms growing grains, vegetables, and fodder crops. Bir village lies at roughly 1,525 metres above sea level. But residents say erratic rainfall, warmer winters, and sudden weather shifts are affecting crop cycles and making agriculture less predictable. ​Scientific findings echo these concerns. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report notes that mountain regions, including the Hindu Kush Himalaya, are experiencing increasing temperatures and changing seasonal weather patterns, while shifts in temperature and precipitation are affecting the timing and availability of water for agricultural activities. ​At the same time, climate pressures are unfolding alongside rapid land-use change. Bir and nearby Billing, internationally known as a paragliding destination, have seen steady growth in guesthouses, cafés, and tourism infrastructure over the past decade. Residents say agricultural land is increasingly being sold or repurposed for construction. Rain clouds seen over Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. Representative image. ​Residents say erratic rainfall, warmer winters, and sudden weather shifts are affecting crop cycles and making agriculture less predictable. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia) ​Older residents&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/climate-change-and-tourism-are-reshaping-farming-in-the-himalayas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/climate-change-and-tourism-are-reshaping-farming-in-the-himalayas/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The ‘correction’ clause rewriting Goa&#8217;s landscape</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-correction-clause-rewriting-goas-landscape/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-correction-clause-rewriting-goas-landscape/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Apr 2026 18:28:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hagen DesaSimrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[city planning]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/23143839/IMG_4344-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37840</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Goa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The orchard behind Tushar Gawas’s village in Siridao grows peppers, cashews, and medicinal plants on a hill that was once considered too steep to build on. On January 26, however, the government reclassified the land as a settlement, paving the way for its construction. Gawas filed an objection against the motion, but the government rejected [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The orchard behind Tushar Gawas’s village in Siridao grows peppers, cashews, and medicinal plants on a hill that was once considered too steep to build on. On January 26, however, the government reclassified the land as a settlement, paving the way for its construction. Gawas filed an objection against the motion, but the government rejected it. They said his objections lacked detail. The orchard in Siridao, in the coastal state of Goa, is one of hundreds of orchards, paddy fields, and hilly slopes — together the size of 133 football fields — to be recategorised as settlements, primed for setting up housing projects, establishments, and other types of infrastructure. The provision allowing for such sweeping changes across Goa’s landscape is Section 39 (A) of the Town and Country Planning Act — a clause the government describes as a tool for correcting errors in existing land use plans. The Town and Country Planning department is led by cabinet minister Vishwajit Rane, who, apart from holding the post of Town and Country Planning Minister, is also listed as a director of Karapur Estates, a real estate firm with a history of applying for zone changes. So far, more than 9.5 lakh (950,000) square metres of land have been re-classified as settlements under 39 (A), bolstered by a steady rise in demand for real estate by migrants from big metro cities. “This government seems to believe that infinite real estate growth is possible in an extremely finite system,” said Solano Da Silva, an&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-correction-clause-rewriting-goas-landscape/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-correction-clause-rewriting-goas-landscape/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A series of disruptions hit tourism in this high altitude desert</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/a-series-of-disruptions-hit-ladakhs-tourism-industry/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/a-series-of-disruptions-hit-ladakhs-tourism-industry/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Mar 2026 11:44:13 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecotourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heavy rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/05175316/Ladakh-tourism.00_05_13_16.Still008-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37166</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Ladakh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Environmental Economics, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Industry, Mountains, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 2022, as the COVID-19 cases began falling and travel opened up again, 30-year-old Irshit Ali’s life changed. There was a sudden surge of tourists in his hometown of Ladakh, where he worked ferrying tourists in his van. This was good for business. His monthly income went up from around ₹20,000 in 2022 to ₹1.5 [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 2022, as the COVID-19 cases began falling and travel opened up again, 30-year-old Irshit Ali’s life changed. There was a sudden surge of tourists in his hometown of Ladakh, where he worked ferrying tourists in his van. This was good for business. His monthly income went up from around ₹20,000 in 2022 to ₹1.5 lakhs in 2023. This encouraged Ali to expand his business. He secured a bank loan to purchase two more vehicles. For the next two years, he saw a steady rise in tourists coming to Ladakh. However, 2025 brought Ali, and Ladakh’s entire tourism sector, to the brink of a crisis. A series of events from April 2025 severely impacted the tourism economy of India’s newest union territory, those in the industry report. After a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir that month, there was a slight decline in foreign tourists visiting Ladakh. Then, during the brief armed conflict between India and Pakistan that followed, and even after it, tourist activities completely stopped. People wander the streets of Leh. Though the situation may seem normal from the outside, the tourism industry is facing a severe crisis. Hotels, taxis and small businesses in Ladakh have seen a significant drop in revenue due to repeated disruptions in 2025. Image by Shailesh Shrivastava/Mongabay. Later in August, after record-breaking rainfall, roads were closed and the region was cut off for a few weeks, discouraging tourists from travelling to Ladakh. In September, a protest in Leh demanding full statehood for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/a-series-of-disruptions-hit-ladakhs-tourism-industry/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Data-driven visitor management is vital for protected areas [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/data-driven-visitor-management-is-vital-for-protected-areas-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/data-driven-visitor-management-is-vital-for-protected-areas-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Mar 2026 13:17:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Pradeep Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecotourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat degradation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/02102811/Indore-City-View-from-Shikargah-of-Ralamandal_photo-shared-by-Ritesh-Kabia-scaled-e1772427529703-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37081</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Forests, Human Wildlife Conflict, Protected Areas, Tourism, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Across India, protected areas are witnessing a steady rise in visitors. From sprawling national parks to small wildlife sanctuaries on the fringes of major cities, nature tourism is booming. This growth is often celebrated as a sign of increasing public interest in conservation. But beyond the headline of visitor numbers, a quieter and a more [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Across India, protected areas are witnessing a steady rise in visitors. From sprawling national parks to small wildlife sanctuaries on the fringes of major cities, nature tourism is booming. This growth is often celebrated as a sign of increasing public interest in conservation. But beyond the headline of visitor numbers, a quieter and a more complex question remains largely unexamined: what happens to ecosystems when popularity turns into pressure? Ralamandal Wildlife Sanctuary, located on the outskirts of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, offers a revealing case study. Spread across an area just over 2 square kilometres, Ralamandal is one of the smallest wildlife sanctuaries in the state. Yet its proximity to the rapidly expanding Indore city makes it one of the most heavily visited forest landscapes in the region. The sanctuary’s history dates to the Holkar period, when the hill forest served as a royal hunting ground, or shikargah. Today, a hilltop structure built in 1905 serves as a museum, offering panoramic views of Indore, Bilawali Tank, and the surrounding mountain hills such as Devguradiya, Umrikheda, Datuni, Renuka and Rann Bhawar. This blend of nature and history attracts a diverse crowd — from fitness enthusiasts and students to weekend tourists. However, forest department data has revealed that the average revenue generated per visitor has stagnated or declined. Visitor data from the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department shows that a large share of this footfall is concentrated between May and September. During these months, daily visitor numbers rise sharply, placing heavy pressure on&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/data-driven-visitor-management-is-vital-for-protected-areas-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Prioritise turtle conservation over tourism say experts after budget announcement</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/prioritise-turtle-conservation-over-tourism-say-experts-after-budget-announcement/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/prioritise-turtle-conservation-over-tourism-say-experts-after-budget-announcement/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Feb 2026 14:30:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[olive ridleys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turtle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turtles]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/18120501/5-e1771401420372-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36951</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Conservation, Ecology, Environmental Politics, Habitat Loss, Oceans, Reptiles, Tourism, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On a humid morning at Kolavipalam beach in Kozhikode, at one of Kerala’s earliest community-led turtle conservation sites, volunteer Abdul Rahman walks slowly along the fenced hatchery enclosure, scanning the sand for any sign of disturbance. Two decades ago, he recalls, this stretch of the coast regularly recorded dozens of olive ridley nests each season, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On a humid morning at Kolavipalam beach in Kozhikode, at one of Kerala’s earliest community-led turtle conservation sites, volunteer Abdul Rahman walks slowly along the fenced hatchery enclosure, scanning the sand for any sign of disturbance. Two decades ago, he recalls, this stretch of the coast regularly recorded dozens of olive ridley nests each season, attracting conservationists, students, and eco-tourists eager to witness hatchlings returning to the sea. Today, months can pass without a single nesting sighting. Just two days before this, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced, in her budget speech, a proposed “turtle trail” tourism initiative along the coasts of Kerala, Karnataka, and Odisha. “The minister talks about turtle tourism,” says Rahman, looking toward the rock-armoured shoreline. “But first, we need turtles. Almost every night, we patrol the beach and find nothing.” Kolavipalam once symbolised the success of community-driven marine conservation in Kerala, where local fishers maintained day-and-night vigilance against sand mining that could destroy hatcheries. Fishers here have long used turtle-excluding devices in fishing nets, and hatchery maintenance continues, but nesting numbers have declined sharply. Why sea turtles matter Sea turtles play a crucial ecological role in maintaining the health of marine and coastal ecosystems. By grazing on seagrass beds and controlling jellyfish populations, they help sustain marine biodiversity and support fish populations that coastal communities depend on for livelihoods. Nesting activity also contributes to nutrient cycling on beaches, enriching coastal vegetation and stabilising dune ecosystems that protect shorelines from erosion. Globally, all species of sea&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/prioritise-turtle-conservation-over-tourism-say-experts-after-budget-announcement/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/prioritise-turtle-conservation-over-tourism-say-experts-after-budget-announcement/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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						<item>
					<title>Photo tourism threatens rare galaxy frog population</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/photo-tourism-threatens-rare-galaxy-frog-population/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/photo-tourism-threatens-rare-galaxy-frog-population/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Jan 2026 12:27:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Liz Kimbrough]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human encroachment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/02111149/Galaxy-frog-in-the-Western-Ghats-India-with-photo-taken-by-conservationist-Rajkumar-K-P-as-part-of-conservation-project-2-c-Rajkumar-K-P-ZSL-.jpg-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36319</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Amphibians, Endangered species, Extinction, Frogs, Photos, Protected Areas, Tourism, Western Ghats, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Seven threatened galaxy frogs (Melanobatrachus indicus) are gone from a research site in the Western Ghats in Kerala after photographers seeking images of the rare, star-patterned amphibians destroyed their delicate forest floor habitat, according to a short article published in Herpetology Notes. Researchers found the seven tiny frogs beneath rotting logs at the site in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Seven threatened galaxy frogs (Melanobatrachus indicus) are gone from a research site in the Western Ghats in Kerala after photographers seeking images of the rare, star-patterned amphibians destroyed their delicate forest floor habitat, according to a short article published in Herpetology Notes. Researchers found the seven tiny frogs beneath rotting logs at the site in March 2020. Upon returning in August 2021, the team discovered that the 25 logs had been overturned, the surrounding vegetation was trampled, and all seven frogs were gone. An anonymous informant reported that multiple photographer groups had visited the site between June 2020 and April 2021. According to the informant’s account, photographers turned over logs to find the frogs, used high-intensity flash photography and handled multiple individuals without gloves — practices that can cause dehydration and stress to the frogs as well as risk disease transmission. Groups of four to six photographers would each photograph the same individuals, with sessions lasting approximately four hours. The informant reported that two small frogs died during photography sessions, though researchers could not verify this claim. The galaxy frog measures just 2-3.5 centimetres and lives only in the southern Western Ghats, where it nestles under logs and stones on the forest floor at elevations above 900 metres. Galaxy frog in the Western Ghats, India. Image by conservationist Rajkumar K.P./ZSL. “Named after their stunning resemblance to images of space, these beautiful yet rare frogs are unlike anything else on our tiny corner of the universe,” said K.P. Rajkumar, lead author&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/photo-tourism-threatens-rare-galaxy-frog-population/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>The elusive Mishmi takin faces new challenges in its changing habitat</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/the-elusive-mishmi-takin-faces-new-challenges-in-its-changing-habitat/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/the-elusive-mishmi-takin-faces-new-challenges-in-its-changing-habitat/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Nov 2025 12:43:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bikash Kumar Bhattacharya]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/28094904/10906231603_0edd4c685a_o-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35807</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Ecology, Endangered species, Environment, Himalayas, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Mountains, Tourism, Tribes, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[High in the mist-shrouded mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, where India meets Tibet and Myanmar, lives one of the most elusive creatures of the Himalayas — the Mishmi takin (Budorcas taxicolor). The species is so unusual that early naturalists struggled to classify it. This robust, shaggy ungulate, often described as a cross between a goat and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[High in the mist-shrouded mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, where India meets Tibet and Myanmar, lives one of the most elusive creatures of the Himalayas — the Mishmi takin (Budorcas taxicolor). The species is so unusual that early naturalists struggled to classify it. This robust, shaggy ungulate, often described as a cross between a goat and an ox, has roamed these slopes for millennia, perfectly adapted to the harsh, remote terrain. Bhutanese and Tibetan folklore says the 15th century Buddhist monk Drukpa Kunley, created the takin by joining a cow’s body with a goat’s head, explaining its peculiar appearance. In the early twentieth century, Captain F. M. Bailey, in Journey through a Portion of South-Eastern Tibet and the Mishmi Hills, reported spotting Mishmi takin herds of up to three hundred animals. The Mishmi takin is one of four subspecies of the takin, a rare goat-antelope native to the eastern Himalayas. With powerful limbs, a large head, and a golden-yellow to dark brown coat, it stands up to 1.3 metres at the shoulder and weighs over 300 kilograms. Its arched nose and large sinus cavities warm icy mountain air before it reaches the lungs, an ideal adaptation for high-altitude life. Chi Ma, an associate professor of mammal behaviour and diversity at Dali University in Yunnan, China, who has studied the Mishmi takin, explains that the species is an important large herbivore in the eastern Himalayas. “It helps shape vegetation and may contribute to seed dispersal, and it also forms part of the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/the-elusive-mishmi-takin-faces-new-challenges-in-its-changing-habitat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>A village turns its geological history into a tourism opportunity [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-village-turns-its-geological-history-into-a-tourism-opportunity-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-village-turns-its-geological-history-into-a-tourism-opportunity-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Aug 2025 13:43:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Geetha Iyer]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heritage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeast India]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/08/01152315/MawmluhCave1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33908</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Meghalaya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Cherrapunji, also known as Sohra, is located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. A region with records of the highest rainfall, it is among the wettest regions of the world. Situated in the Lower Cherrapunji area, under the Sohra Civil Sub-division, is Mawmluh, a village with a population of around 1,500. It is [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Cherrapunji, also known as Sohra, is located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. A region with records of the highest rainfall, it is among the wettest regions of the world. Situated in the Lower Cherrapunji area, under the Sohra Civil Sub-division, is Mawmluh, a village with a population of around 1,500. It is the last village on the Sohra plateau before the hills begin their descent. Mawmluh has adopted a sustainable and niche tourism model that also benefits the residents. Tourism potential The hills, mountains, forests, waterfalls around Mawmluh make it a very picturesque destination for tourists. But that’s not all. The village is the proud protector of a piece of Earth’s history — Mawmluh Cave. Situated at an elevation of 1,200 metres, the Cave, one of the longest and deepest caves in India, holds evidence of the events in the geological history of Earth. The geological time scale divides the Earth&#8217;s history into units of time based on geological and biological events. The smallest division or unit of this timetable is the geological age. We now live in the “Meghalayan age”. The changes that take place on Earth get recorded in the chemistry of rocks, ice cores, and deposits below the sea floor. The strongest clue for the dramatic changes in climate that occurred 4,200 years ago in the Holocene epoch were discovered inside the Mawmluh Cave. The major climatic changes that took place at the beginning of this youngest geological time period has been learned by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-village-turns-its-geological-history-into-a-tourism-opportunity-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Unreliable snow threatens winter tourism</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/unreliable-snow-threatens-winter-tourism/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/unreliable-snow-threatens-winter-tourism/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Jun 2025 14:27:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erratic weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weather patterns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winter]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/30110036/6-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33410</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Global Warming, Impacts of Climate Change, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Kashmir’s snow-covered slopes — once a major attraction for winter tourists — are becoming increasingly elusive. Warming winters are delaying snowfall and shortening the snow season. Snowfall in the region would typically begin in September, with heavy snow for about a month between December and January. But in recent years, snowfall has arrived as late [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Kashmir’s snow-covered slopes — once a major attraction for winter tourists — are becoming increasingly elusive. Warming winters are delaying snowfall and shortening the snow season. Snowfall in the region would typically begin in September, with heavy snow for about a month between December and January. But in recent years, snowfall has arrived as late as February and melted quickly, disrupting the region’s famed snow and mountain tourism sector. Scientific studies and recent observations indicate that climate change is increasingly impacting Kashmir, manifesting through rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and extreme events that put snow-dependent livelihoods at risk. According to the Department of Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir, there are 3,000 registered and operational hotels, guesthouses, and homestays across the valley. In addition, there are around 800 houseboats. Beyond lodging, the livelihoods of thousands — including taxi drivers, tour guides, pony handlers and handicraft vendors — are closely tied to tourism. Snow tourism takes a hit One significant consequence of climate change is the alteration in snowfall patterns, leading to reduced and unreliable snow cover during winters. The effects of this are especially visible on adventure tourism and winter sports, which relies on consistent snow. Gulmarg, Kashmir’s premier ski location at an elevation of 2,650 metres (8,694 feet) above sea level, has seen snowfall decline so sharp that Khelo India Winter Games 2025, the fifth edition of the flagship event under the Indian government’s Khelo India sports initiative, had to be postponed due to lack of snow. There are 3,000 hotels, guesthouses,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/unreliable-snow-threatens-winter-tourism/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Your Environment This Week: Conserving clouded leopards, Marine worms, Vulnerable villages of South Goa</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/your-environment-this-week-3-clouded-leopard-goa-heat-air-pollution/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/your-environment-this-week-3-clouded-leopard-goa-heat-air-pollution/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Jan 2025 15:17:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Saumitrashinde]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/01/13113455/The-clouded-leopards-range-spans-the-Himalayas-in-Nepal-Bhutan-and-India-extending-across-South-China-and-down-to-Peninsular-Malaysia-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31146</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Community based conservation, Fishing, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. These Goan villages want to be recognised for their natural resources The residents [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. These Goan villages want to be recognised for their natural resources The residents of Loliem village in southern Goa are doing everything they can to control the fate of their lands. South Goa tourist hubs found highly vulnerable to climate change Tourist hubs of Agonda and Palolem were ranked most vulnerable both in the social and physical sphere. Record heat is worsening pollution and public health in the Global South Escalating climate change is expected to exacerbate air pollution and worsen public health. Audit report flags issues with projects on the Tamil Nadu coast The Comptroller Auditor General of India found that the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority cleared projects for development despite not being authorised to do so. Indigenous turtle-safe fishing devices help India tackle U.S. shrimp ban A Turtle Excluder Device, made in India, receives approval from the U.S. raising hopes that the five-year ban on wild-caught shrimp be lifted soon. Designed to suit Indian conditions and in line with international standards, the indigenous TED ensures the prevention of turtle bycatch with no shrimp catch loss. Indian taxonomist forays into the uncharted waters of meiofauna Taxonomist Jini Jacob received the Ocean Census Awards 2024 for her work documenting over 60 novel nematode species. Nematodes&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/your-environment-this-week-3-clouded-leopard-goa-heat-air-pollution/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>South Goa tourist hubs found highly vulnerable to climate change</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/south-goa-tourist-hubs-found-highly-vulnerable-to-climate-change/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/south-goa-tourist-hubs-found-highly-vulnerable-to-climate-change/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Jan 2025 12:06:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lisann Dias]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coastal erosion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vulnerability]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/01/15104810/DSC3180-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31075</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Goa and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Coast, Tourism, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Canacona, Goa’s southernmost taluka, a district sub-division, has seen a tourism boom post the nineties, thanks to a congested North Goa. The former relatively untouched taluka is home to pristine, world-renowned beaches such as Palolem, Agonda, Patnem, and Galgibaga amongst other lesser-known picturesque and secluded beaches. The boom over the past few decades has led [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Canacona, Goa’s southernmost taluka, a district sub-division, has seen a tourism boom post the nineties, thanks to a congested North Goa. The former relatively untouched taluka is home to pristine, world-renowned beaches such as Palolem, Agonda, Patnem, and Galgibaga amongst other lesser-known picturesque and secluded beaches. The boom over the past few decades has led to unchecked development along its shores, including many structures which are illegal and unauthorised, with complaints of limited access and congested roads leading to the beaches. This comes at a time when rise in climate change-induced sea surface temperature (SST) as well as sea level rise (SLR) are making coastal areas vulnerable to cyclones, flooding and inundation. A new study assesses the vulnerability of five coastal villages in Canacona through a modified Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) framework and finds the villages of Agonda and Nagercem-Chaudi highly vulnerable to climate change. Both the villages are tourist hotspots and house the renowned Agonda, Palolem and Patnem beaches respectively. The study focuses on the villages of Cola, Agonda, Nagercem-Chaudi, Poinguinim, and Loliem, along the coast of Canacona. The first four have seen a tourism influx of late. While a 2014 study classified Canacona as ‘low vulnerability’ due to the general presence of rocky cliffs, mesas, low population density, and fewer tourists, the present study revealed a heightened vulnerability, especially in the two villages. This is particularly due to their low-lying topography, a high proportion of sandy beaches, and drastic land use change in the last two decades due&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/south-goa-tourist-hubs-found-highly-vulnerable-to-climate-change/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Local lifeline, nature’s timeline, Varkala cliffs threatened by climate and human activities</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/local-lifeline-natures-timeline-varkala-cliffs-threatened-by-climate-and-human-activities/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/local-lifeline-natures-timeline-varkala-cliffs-threatened-by-climate-and-human-activities/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Oct 2024 16:06:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cliff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate chane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fish population]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/10/30084721/IMG_1109-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=30060</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The India Water Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Fishing, Oceans, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[With its honeycake-coloured layers of off-white, yellow, ochre, red and brown, the cliffs of Varkala in northern Thiruvananthapuram attract tourists from across the world starting November. This year, local conservationists are on a mission to save these ancient rock formations exposed to recent torrential rains, high waves, coastal erosion, and damage from infrastructure development measures. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[With its honeycake-coloured layers of off-white, yellow, ochre, red and brown, the cliffs of Varkala in northern Thiruvananthapuram attract tourists from across the world starting November. This year, local conservationists are on a mission to save these ancient rock formations exposed to recent torrential rains, high waves, coastal erosion, and damage from infrastructure development measures. Stretching 7.5 km on the backshore, the golden-sand beach between the high-water mark and the landward limit of wave action, these cliffs are a rare geodiversity spot. Their minerals, rocks, fossils, soils, sediments, and landforms, as well as land and water features merit conservation, going by the global norms. They offer a timeline to study the earth’s evolution and offer a lifeline to the local communities with its biodiversity and freshwater resources. Rampant destruction Conservationists of Kerala, God’s Own Country, as the state tourism department advertises it, say the cliffs face challenges as the area gets crowded. A certain lack of awareness about their significance is probably the hardest to mount, they say. Over the years, there has been hectic construction on the cliff – restaurants, resorts, parking lots and a helipad. The defining moment came in early June when the district administration of Thiruvananthapuram sent bulldozers to demolish a part of the cliffs to prevent landslides. The background is that landslides are threatening the highlands and hillslopes of Kerala as the changing climate brings more intense rains of late.  The demolition happened near a spot where people perform last rites for their dear and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/local-lifeline-natures-timeline-varkala-cliffs-threatened-by-climate-and-human-activities/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/local-lifeline-natures-timeline-varkala-cliffs-threatened-by-climate-and-human-activities/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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					<title>Unsustainable tourism, habitat changes eclipse the dazzling world of fireflies</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/unsustainable-tourism-habitat-changes-eclipse-the-dazzling-world-of-fireflies/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/unsustainable-tourism-habitat-changes-eclipse-the-dazzling-world-of-fireflies/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Oct 2024 10:22:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rushikesh MoreSanjana Khandare]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecotourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fireflies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourism]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/10/28133813/Photo-7-Fireflies-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=30045</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Insects, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The end of May brings with it a gentle breeze from the west that slowly fades the scorching heat in Maharashtra’s Bhandardara region in Ahmednagar district. Nestled in the Sahyadri mountain range, this area is lush green. As night falls, the trees in the valley are illuminated, as if adorned with fairy lights. These ‘fairy [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The end of May brings with it a gentle breeze from the west that slowly fades the scorching heat in Maharashtra’s Bhandardara region in Ahmednagar district. Nestled in the Sahyadri mountain range, this area is lush green. As night falls, the trees in the valley are illuminated, as if adorned with fairy lights. These ‘fairy lights’ are, in fact, bioluminescent insects – fireflies. The end of May and the beginning of June is typically mating season for this species. During this time, fireflies procreate, creating a dazzling show of lights. As the monsoon settles in and showers become more regular, the firefly population slowly fades. However, the last few years have seen a drastic change. The locals of the Bhandardara-Ghatghar region and environmental experts say they are worried about the survival of the species. They have observed that the growing influx of tourists and the changing climate are adversely impacting the fireflies. Locals worry that this will impact the population of fireflies. Local tribal women sell wild fruits to tourists. Most of the local people in the Bhandardara forest region belong to the Mahadev Koli and Thakar tribes. Their tradition occupation is paddy farming. Tourism, particularly in the monsoon season, bring in additional income for them as they sell local produce, food and organise lodging for tourists. Image by Aniket Upshyam. Between May 25 and June 15, which coincides with the mating season of the fireflies, the region is host to a “Fireflies Festival” as part of which private tour&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/unsustainable-tourism-habitat-changes-eclipse-the-dazzling-world-of-fireflies/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/unsustainable-tourism-habitat-changes-eclipse-the-dazzling-world-of-fireflies/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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					<title>[Commentary] A cruise on the Narmada river: Is it legal, just or justified?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/commentary-a-cruise-on-the-narmada-river-is-it-legal-just-or-justified/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/commentary-a-cruise-on-the-narmada-river-is-it-legal-just-or-justified/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Aug 2024 12:12:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rachit Tiwari]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Narmada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[river]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourism]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/08/29094920/Picture2-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29222</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat, India, and Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environmental Law, Rivers, Tourism, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department proposed to start cruise ship services for tourists on the Narmada River, in early 2022. The cruise ships, yet to become operational, will go from Badwani in Madhya Pradesh to the Statue of Unity in Kevadiya, Gujarat, covering a distance of approximately 135 km. Each ship will carry 70 passengers [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department proposed to start cruise ship services for tourists on the Narmada River, in early 2022. The cruise ships, yet to become operational, will go from Badwani in Madhya Pradesh to the Statue of Unity in Kevadiya, Gujarat, covering a distance of approximately 135 km. Each ship will carry 70 passengers in luxury and 56 passengers in the budget cruise vessels. These cruises will exclusively cater to tourists, providing facilities like bars, swimming pool, water sports and other leisure activities. Infrastructure for this project includes the construction of floating jetties and additional amenities to support tourists. Two additional sites, Hanfeshwar and Silarja, have been identified as stoppage points along the route. ​ This initiative is part of the government’s goal to develop luxury tourism in the region, with a 15-30% subsidy provided to attract investment in this sector. Periodically, the project was widely advertised in local newspapers and media, boasting about its economic benefits through potential tourism attraction and “foreign dollars” coming to the state. However, this project seemed to have violated significant environmental protection laws and ignored key social concerns related to the pollution of drinking water sources, impacts on fisheries and fisher workers, irrigation for farmers and the communities’ rights on water sources. The intention of attaining such benefits to ‘economy’ is a worrying trend of disregarding ecological balance and community well-being in pursuit of profiteering tourism activities as business. The Tourism Department of Madhya Pradesh enlisted WAPCOS Limited, a government-owned consultancy firm, to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/commentary-a-cruise-on-the-narmada-river-is-it-legal-just-or-justified/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Proposed luxury hotels in and around Kaziranga threaten wildlife conservation, livelihood</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/proposed-luxury-hotels-in-and-around-kaziranga-threaten-wildlife-conservation-livelihood/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/proposed-luxury-hotels-in-and-around-kaziranga-threaten-wildlife-conservation-livelihood/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Jul 2024 14:59:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kaziranga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourism]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/07/31140905/800px-Beauty_of_Kaziranga_National_Park-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28802</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Environmental Law, Forests, Tourism, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Locals and environmental activists are concerned about the upcoming proposed five-star hotels in the vicinity of Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR). KNPTR is spread across 1,300 square kilometres and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to the one-horned rhinoceros, elephants, tigers, wild buffaloes and wild boars among other species. With these [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Locals and environmental activists are concerned about the upcoming proposed five-star hotels in the vicinity of Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR). KNPTR is spread across 1,300 square kilometres and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to the one-horned rhinoceros, elephants, tigers, wild buffaloes and wild boars among other species. With these upcoming projects, locals are concerned about displacement, environmental impact and the movement of wild animals. While announcing the projects last year, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, had said that Kaziranga would soon have a five-star resort to attract tourists from across the world. He had announced in 2023 that an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with the Hyatt Group at an investment of Rs. 100 crores. However, in a recent email conversation, a spokesperson from Hyatt Hotels told Mongabay-India that Hyatt does not have any projects in Kaziranga. Adult rhinos with a calf inside the Kaziranga National Park. Image by Diganta Talukdar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Earlier this year, on May 11, Assam Tourism Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, had posted on X (formerly Twitter) about three hospitality projects being developed in and around Kaziranga in collaboration with the Department of Tourism. He had said that the foundation stone of these three projects would be laid around June-July. However, that is yet to happen. While it is unclear what the final projects are going to be or who the developers are, land has already been barricaded and farmers displaced for it. One&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/proposed-luxury-hotels-in-and-around-kaziranga-threaten-wildlife-conservation-livelihood/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Flood risk study of Himalayan valley highlights unregulated tourism as a cause</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/flood-risk-study-of-himalayan-valley-highlights-unregulated-tourism-as-a-cause/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/flood-risk-study-of-himalayan-valley-highlights-unregulated-tourism-as-a-cause/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Jul 2024 11:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hazards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[risks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vulerability]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/07/28085906/Bhandak_Thaatch-_Camping_I_IMG_7385-e1722139298162-768x471.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28759</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Flood and drought]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh, Himalayas, and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Science, Extreme Weather Events, Floods, Mountains, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Kullu valley is an ideal holiday destination for many Indians; a place that offers temperate weather, stunning landscapes, and the warmth of its hardworking communities, all of which provide a welcome break from the everyday mundaneness of city life. At the same time, the escalating impacts of climate change in the region, especially in the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Kullu valley is an ideal holiday destination for many Indians; a place that offers temperate weather, stunning landscapes, and the warmth of its hardworking communities, all of which provide a welcome break from the everyday mundaneness of city life. At the same time, the escalating impacts of climate change in the region, especially in the form of flash floods, is becoming too apparent to ignore. In 2018, heavy rains led to severe flooding in Himachal Pradesh, including in the Kullu valley, as the Beas and Parbati rivers overflowed, causing widespread devastation. The situation repeated in 2023, when flash floods and heavy rains in July and August resulted in the destruction of homes and properties, with the state government estimating losses of over Rs. 10,000 crores (Rs. 100 billion). Understanding flood vulnerability In this context, a new study examines the flood vulnerability of Kullu valley by integrating both geoenvironmental and socioenvironmental analyses. The research used satellite imagery, Geographic Information System (GIS), and field surveys to assess the region&#8217;s topographical and hydrological attributes alongside land-use patterns, aiming to understand the extent of flood risk. The study notes that the concept of vulnerability has “evolved through interdisciplinary contributions” and cites the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to define vulnerability as encompassing three primary dimensions: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. “Exposure refers to the presence of environmental hazards, sensitivity denotes the susceptibility of a system to such hazards, and adaptive capacity represents the system&#8217;s ability to adapt and respond to potential impacts.” Severe&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/flood-risk-study-of-himalayan-valley-highlights-unregulated-tourism-as-a-cause/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>A blooming tale of transformation</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/a-blooming-tale-of-transformation/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/a-blooming-tale-of-transformation/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jul 2024 14:07:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dry waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dumpyard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landfill]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solid waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wet waste]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/07/23131506/ANC_5647-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28657</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Eco Hope]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Health impacts, Plastic, Pollution, Tourism, and Waste management]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A manicured garden with blooming flowers is arguably the last thing one would associate with a municipal dumpyard. Yet, an about 10,000 sq ft garden skirts Coonoor town&#8217;s solid waste management centre at Ottupattarai. “We thought of a garden to break the stigma around waste. The thought that it’s unsightly and needs to be avoided [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A manicured garden with blooming flowers is arguably the last thing one would associate with a municipal dumpyard. Yet, an about 10,000 sq ft garden skirts Coonoor town&#8217;s solid waste management centre at Ottupattarai. “We thought of a garden to break the stigma around waste. The thought that it’s unsightly and needs to be avoided has to change,” says Samantha Iyanna, one of the founders of Clean Coonoor, a Coonoor-based civil society group, that runs the facility. The garden, featuring 40 perennials, over 30 annuals, and native grasses, was established five years ago adjacent to the five-hectare dumpyard. It has won the well-known Ooty flower show competition in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu consecutively for the past three years. Half a hectare of land near the garden is used for ecorestoration with native grass. The garden, grown on compost made at the dumpyard, attracts many visitors daily. These visitors inadvertently take home the message that waste is a personal responsibility and that not all waste needs to be trashed; some can be put to good use. One of the gardeners tends to the plants in a garden adjacent to a dump yard at Oottupattarai in Coonoor, a popular tourist destination. The garden uses compost made from the wet waste segregated at the center. Image by Abhishek N. Chinnappa/Mongabay. From garbage to garden In 2019, Clean Coonoor undertook the gargantuan task of cleaning up a legacy landfill on top of a hill and managing the municipal waste. Until then, Samantha&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/a-blooming-tale-of-transformation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Kancha Sherpa, a member of the first successful expedition to Everest, is worried. Here’s why.</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/mount-everest-climber-surge-climate-change-tourism/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/mount-everest-climber-surge-climate-change-tourism/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Jun 2024 13:48:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nidhi Jamwal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change impact]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Everest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Glaciers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kancha Sherpa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Summit]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/06/25110657/everest-base-camp-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28265</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Nepal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Glaciers, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Kancha Sherpa was barely 20 years old when he became a part of the climbing team that accompanied Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the first people to summit Mount Everest, on May 29, 1953. Today, at 92, Kancha is the last living member of that team. From his home in Namche village in Khumbu [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Kancha Sherpa was barely 20 years old when he became a part of the climbing team that accompanied Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the first people to summit Mount Everest, on May 29, 1953. Today, at 92, Kancha is the last living member of that team. From his home in Namche village in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, Kancha watches hordes of mountaineers and trekkers making their way to the world’s tallest peak. The May 1953 expedition he was part of had opened the doors of Mount Everest to the world. Since then, annually, hundreds of climbers from across the globe crowd into the Solukhumbu district of Nepal to scale Mount Everest, locally known as Sagarmatha. The Sherpas, a Tibetan-origin ethnic community of Nepal, revere Sagarmatha as a goddess and worship her. She is also known as Chomolungma (Qomolangma) in Tibetan, meaning ‘Mother Goddess of the World.’ “The number of climbers and travellers is growing by leaps and bounds. Anyone who has money to pay the government can try to summit Sagarmatha. All that the government wants is money,” worries Kancha. “For the Sherpas, Sagarmatha is our Devi; she is our Provider. We set our foot on Her only after seeking her forgiveness first,” he tells Mongabay India. Nepal is home to eight of the world’s ten highest peaks, and foreign climbers are a major source of revenue for the Himalayan nation. In 2023, the government earned around $5 million in revenue from Mount Everest alone in one climbing&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/mount-everest-climber-surge-climate-change-tourism/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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