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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/tribes/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:03:33 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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				<item>
					<title>Isolated island tribes should choose their own destinies, says Manish Chandi [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/isolated-island-tribes-should-choose-their-own-destinies-says-manish-chandi-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/isolated-island-tribes-should-choose-their-own-destinies-says-manish-chandi-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Sep 2026 13:12:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Latoya Abulu]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tribal communities]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/26224219/q.-Shompen-2-of-the-27th-Km-EW-road-1997-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41246</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Community based conservation, Conservation, Fish, Fishing, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Islands, Mangroves, Oceans, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[From above, the North Sentinel Island tribal reserve in India’s Andaman and Nicobar archipelago is a thick, unbroken patch of dark green — starkly surrounded by the shimmering coastal blue waters of its buffer zone. On these shores, Sentinelese people, who live in voluntary isolation protected by a strict government no-contact policy, spear fish, hunt [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[From above, the North Sentinel Island tribal reserve in India’s Andaman and Nicobar archipelago is a thick, unbroken patch of dark green — starkly surrounded by the shimmering coastal blue waters of its buffer zone. On these shores, Sentinelese people, who live in voluntary isolation protected by a strict government no-contact policy, spear fish, hunt turtles and collect mollusks in shallow reefs surrounded by mangroves. The coastal reefs are intact ecosystems rich in fish life, say biologists. “I have seen them [groups of men, women and children] foraging and collecting these food resources during low tide on several occasions,” says Manish Chandi, a tribal expert who has watched the island from afar. “The Sentinelese are aware of these as nutritious and sparsely available resources in such [mangrove] habitats, which are very few on and around the island.” Like other tribal reserves on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in the southeast of mainland India, North Sentinel Island is a biodiversity hotspot; and, like other tribal reserves, the isolated people who live there have attracted influencers and misunderstandings, says Chandi. “Curiosity and ignorance regarding the islanders is quite high and understandably so amongst outsiders and [government] bureaucrats who have little association with the islands,” he tells Mongabay in an interview. The giant trees along the North Sentinel Island coastline are its first natural defence against storms and hold its coastal soil together. The shore is lined with sandy beaches and rocky shores, while the foreshore is dotted with coral reefs and mangroves&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/isolated-island-tribes-should-choose-their-own-destinies-says-manish-chandi-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>People and the politics of contest, construction and compensation</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Sep 2026 16:34:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Satish Bhartiya]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ken-betwa river linking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[River Interlinking]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/16154553/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%A8-%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B5-%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%BC%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%95-%E0%A4%98%E0%A4%B0-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40947</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Rights, Rivers, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The banks of the Barana river, where those affected by the Ken-Betwa project led the Panchtatva Satyagraha in July, now lie quiet. Although water levels have risen to cover much of the protest site, traces of the chita (pyre) and phansi (noose) used for demonstrations are still visible. The din of machinery can constantly be heard [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The banks of the Barana river, where those affected by the Ken-Betwa project led the Panchtatva Satyagraha in July, now lie quiet. Although water levels have risen to cover much of the protest site, traces of the chita (pyre) and phansi (noose) used for demonstrations are still visible. The din of machinery can constantly be heard from beneath the nearby bridge. A large number of slippers lie scattered near the bridge, left behind during police interventions on July 19. Bhagwati Saur, 60, who lives 30 km away in Mainari village in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh, arrived on July 4 at the protest site in Kupi village and returned home after the police cleared the site. She lives with her husband and six children in a five-room house. The family owns approximately five acres of agricultural land, where they grow mango, mahua and guava trees. She says that despite being affected by the project, she has, so far, received neither compensation for the house and land nor any related notice. “We pleaded for fair compensation, taking our appeal from Chhatarpur to Bhopal. When we were not heard, we had to raise our voices through the protest,” says Bhagwati. She is not the only one. In the affected villages, some families have been written off the compensation list, while others are awaiting payment. Many families are questioning the compensation rates and survey process. The April and July protests prompted the administration to order a reassessment of the families that had been left&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Genetic study of the Arunachali mithun flags declining breeding population</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/genetic-study-of-the-arunachali-mithun-flags-declining-breeding-population/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/genetic-study-of-the-arunachali-mithun-flags-declining-breeding-population/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Aug 2026 17:58:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Barasha Das]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/13142643/3.-Male-Nagami-Mithun-PC-Harshit-Kumar-scientist-at-the-ICAR-National-Research-Centre-on-Mithun-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40117</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Himalayas, Mammals, Mountains, Natural Resources, Tribes, Villages, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In Arunachal Pradesh, conversations in mithun-rearing communities often find their way to the animal. For outsiders, one question almost inevitably follows: &#8220;How many mithuns do you own?&#8221; When John Pei Cander was asked the same question, the enthusiasm with which he had been talking moments earlier suddenly faded. He paused before replying quietly, almost apologetically. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In Arunachal Pradesh, conversations in mithun-rearing communities often find their way to the animal. For outsiders, one question almost inevitably follows: &#8220;How many mithuns do you own?&#8221; When John Pei Cander was asked the same question, the enthusiasm with which he had been talking moments earlier suddenly faded. He paused before replying quietly, almost apologetically. &#8220;Now, I have just four,&#8221; he said. &#8220;During my father&#8217;s time, our family had around 30.&#8221; John runs a successful business, owns agricultural land, and has built a concrete two-storied house, drives an SUV. His children are studying in private schools. Yet it was not these achievements that defined his pride. It was the shrinking number of mithuns his family owned. He is not alone. Many with government jobs, thriving farms or successful businesses hesitate before revealing a single-digit number when asked about their mithuns. Their responses carried a sense of shame. Owning fewer mithuns, several people suggested, is not merely an economic reality; it was a loss of status and inheritance. For generations, the mithun (Bos frontalis) has occupied a unique place amongst many Indigenous societies of northeast India. Neither fully domesticated nor truly wild, the semi-free-ranging bovine represents symbols of wealth, prestige and social standing, woven deeply into customary practices and family life. According to the 20th Livestock Census published in 2019, India is home to nearly 384,000 individuals. Arunachal Pradesh supports close to 70% of the country&#8217;s mithun population, making the state&#8217;s breeding practices central to the species&#8217; future. The remaining animals&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/genetic-study-of-the-arunachali-mithun-flags-declining-breeding-population/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Biodiversity and pastoral traditions lose shine with time in these grass preserves</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/biodiversity-and-pastoral-traditions-lose-shine-with-time-in-these-grass-preserves/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/biodiversity-and-pastoral-traditions-lose-shine-with-time-in-these-grass-preserves/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Jun 2026 14:03:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vandana K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cattle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastoralism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/12122455/AP23167518472753-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38617</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Environment, Grasslands, Indigenous Peoples, Protected Areas, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Nasibi Shermamad Jat, 55, remembers how, as a child, she would walk to the rakhal near her village with her mother to take their buffaloes for grazing. “I plucked imli (tamarind) from the trees and collected grass during drought,” she recalls. After she got married, her visits to the rakhal continued with her husband and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Nasibi Shermamad Jat, 55, remembers how, as a child, she would walk to the rakhal near her village with her mother to take their buffaloes for grazing. “I plucked imli (tamarind) from the trees and collected grass during drought,” she recalls. After she got married, her visits to the rakhal continued with her husband and their camels. A protected area, a rakhal is typically characterised by sparse tree cover, shrubs, and grass in a savannah-like landscape, found in the arid and semi-arid regions of Kachchh, Gujarat. Nasibi’s village is one among the many villages across the parched region of Kachchh, where shades of white, beige and sandy brown dominate the landscape. Belonging to the pastoralist Maldhari community in Dhragavandh, a village near the India-Pakistan border, Nasibi’s family of eight owns 30 camels and six buffaloes. There are four rakhals surrounding her village located inside the Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary. “The kings gave us rakhals to graze our animals,” says Nasibi. Rakhals began as grass preserves in the 1880s, with the purpose of supplying fodder for animals and for hunting by the rulers of the princely state of Kachchh. Cutting trees was banned even then. The royal court earned revenue from some rakhals by allowing Maldharis to graze their herds in these areas. After Independence, the rakhals were taken over by the state forest department. In present times, rakhals are facing several pressures in the form of urbanisation, industrialisation, the fading away of traditional ecological knowledge, invasive species, renewable energy expansion, and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/biodiversity-and-pastoral-traditions-lose-shine-with-time-in-these-grass-preserves/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Communities rally to conserve marbled cat</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/communities-rally-to-conserve-marbled-cat/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/communities-rally-to-conserve-marbled-cat/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Jun 2026 13:34:53 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Barasha Das]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eastern himalayas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marbled cat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marbled cat and leopard cat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeast India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small cats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small wild cats]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/05121551/1.-Marbled-cat-captured-on-camera-trap-in-Nagaland.-PC-Giridhar-Malla-e1780642216526-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38542</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Community based conservation, Conservation, Hunting, Indigenous Peoples, Mammals, Tribes, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Conservationists and several communities in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland gathered on March 1 to mark the first-ever International Marbled Cat Day, drawing attention to one of Asia’s most elusive and least understood wild felids. Conceptualised by the Eastern Himalayas Marbled Cat Project (EHMCP), in collaboration with state forest departments, the Day focused on engaging local [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Conservationists and several communities in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland gathered on March 1 to mark the first-ever International Marbled Cat Day, drawing attention to one of Asia’s most elusive and least understood wild felids. Conceptualised by the Eastern Himalayas Marbled Cat Project (EHMCP), in collaboration with state forest departments, the Day focused on engaging local communities and creating spaces for shared learning. “This timing was chosen deliberately,” says Giridhar Malla, conservationist and founder of the EHMCP. “It marks a seasonal transition. When forests begin to shift with the onset of spring, there is renewed growth, and communities also start preparing for sowing. We saw this as a meaningful moment for people to reflect on ecological change and connect that sense of renewal with the importance of remembering and conserving the marbled cat across Northeast India.” Community-led conservation Following a camera-trap survey conducted between 2022 and 2025 by the EHMCP, which confirmed the scattered presence of the marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata) in parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya, residents of the villages where the species was captured on camera decided to take up conservation measures. These villages include Lokpeng in Siang district and Nyorok in West Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh; Riangmaw in West Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya; and Khonoma in Kohima district and Choklangan in Noklak district in Nagaland. In October 2025, the Hii:ung Hii:eng community forest in Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh, was formally declared India’s first community-conserved area dedicated to the marbled cat by the Lokpeng Welfare&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/communities-rally-to-conserve-marbled-cat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>A bauxite mining project, contested consent and growing tensions</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/a-bauxite-mining-project-contested-consent-and-growing-tensions/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/a-bauxite-mining-project-contested-consent-and-growing-tensions/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jun 2026 17:40:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ashwini Kumar Shukla]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bauxite]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest Right Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gram sabha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PESA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tribal communities]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/01131630/IMG_1202-scaled-e1780300022815-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38444</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Odisha]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Environmental Crime, Environmental Politics, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Industry, Mining, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It was past 2:30 in the morning on April 7, 2026, when the banging on the doors began, locals of Kantamal village narrate. Kantamal is one of over 44 villages nestled in the foothills of Sijimali range in Odisha&#8217;s Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. More than 200 police personnel had encircled the village, say the residents. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It was past 2:30 in the morning on April 7, 2026, when the banging on the doors began, locals of Kantamal village narrate. Kantamal is one of over 44 villages nestled in the foothills of Sijimali range in Odisha&#8217;s Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. More than 200 police personnel had encircled the village, say the residents. The power was out. “We had no idea what was happening,” says Subash Singh Majhi, a 32-year-old who heads Maa Mati Mali Suraksha Manch, a collective of affected villagers opposing a proposed bauxite mine in the area. “Before we could understand anything, they (police) had dragged people out of their homes in the dark and begun beating them,” he alleges. Eighty-six-year-old Gaseb Dei Majhi remembers the night in fragments. “They fired tear gas. They beat us,” she says, holding up an empty shell, police fired that night. As per the locals, the immediate trigger was a protest against a 3-kilometre access road near Sagabari village, a road that, if completed, would connect state highway 44 to the Sijimali hilltop, and, which residents feared, would open the final path to the contested bauxite mine. Kantamal is one of over 44 villages nestled in the foothills of the Sijimali range in Odisha’s Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. In the early hours of April 7, 2026, residents narrate how police personnel raided their homes and attacked them. Image by Ashwini Kumar Shukla. Ram Chandra Naik, a resident of Kantamal, alleged that police stripped him naked and dragged him during the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/a-bauxite-mining-project-contested-consent-and-growing-tensions/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>How nomadic herders sustain forests [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/how-nomadic-herders-sustain-forests-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/how-nomadic-herders-sustain-forests-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jun 2026 12:38:53 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Najakat AliNeema P. BroomeNeha Negi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buffalo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cattle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grazing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildfires]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/01112508/An-egret-walks-among-resting-Gojri-buffalo-reflecting-the-close-relationship-between-the-herds-and-other-species-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38446</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttarakhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Community based conservation, Ecology, Forest Rights Act, Grasslands, Indigenous Peoples, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When you walk with the Van Gujjars in the forest, you realise quickly that conservation with them doesn’t look like warning boards or official patrols. It is in everyday things, in the way the nomadic pastoralist families move with their buffaloes, graze carefully, use medicinal plants, and lop trees in a way that they grow [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When you walk with the Van Gujjars in the forest, you realise quickly that conservation with them doesn’t look like warning boards or official patrols. It is in everyday things, in the way the nomadic pastoralist families move with their buffaloes, graze carefully, use medicinal plants, and lop trees in a way that they grow back again. For them, looking after the herd is just another way of looking after the forest. For generations, the Gojri buffalo has been at the centre of Van Gujjar life. Families migrate with them season after season, down to the plains in winter where fodder and water are easier to find, up to the alpine meadows in summer where grass grows thick and fresh. This movement is guided by elders&#8217; knowledge of rivers, pastures, and seasons. It is a way of living that has helped keep forests, grasslands, and people in balance. Ask a Maee (a traditional herder identified by each family for their buffaloes, and shares a mutually intimate relationship with their buffaloes), and they’ll explain it simply, “Our buffaloes eat from the top, not the root.” These small details make all the difference. Grass grows back quickly and is soft, and the forest regenerates. Within days, the same patch turns green again. In Kunau Chaur, a grassland and scrub forest in Uttarakhand, elders point to the trees that sprouted after buffaloes carried seeds across the ranges. In another landscape, Anjani Chaur, the elders said that the buffaloes do more than walk; they&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/how-nomadic-herders-sustain-forests-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/how-nomadic-herders-sustain-forests-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A community leads protection of the pangolin in a critical illegal trade corridor</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-community-leads-protection-of-the-pangolin-in-a-critical-illegal-trade-corridor/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-community-leads-protection-of-the-pangolin-in-a-critical-illegal-trade-corridor/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 May 2026 15:19:52 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kasturi Das]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pangolin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife trafficking]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/07120441/Chinese-pangolin-rescue-and-released-by-WTI-in-Arunachal-Pradesh-_-Panjit-Basumatary-_-IMG_8627-1-copy-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38060</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Nagaland]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community based conservation, Conservation, Endangered species, Hunting, Indigenous Peoples, Mammals, Tribes, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In Nagaland’s Kiphire district, along the porous Indo-Myanmar border, pangolins have been hunted for decades — once due to cultural beliefs, and increasingly for trade, in a region identified as a key wildlife trafficking route. “Our forefathers would say that if a pangolin enters a house, it was considered a bad omen or curse,” says [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In Nagaland’s Kiphire district, along the porous Indo-Myanmar border, pangolins have been hunted for decades — once due to cultural beliefs, and increasingly for trade, in a region identified as a key wildlife trafficking route. “Our forefathers would say that if a pangolin enters a house, it was considered a bad omen or curse,” says L. Kipitong Sangtam, 61, a resident of Amahator village in Kiphire district. “In the past, if someone encountered a pangolin, they would try to catch and kill it, sometimes by digging it out of its burrow.” Now, conservationists in Nagaland are turning to village councils and customary courts, to protect the elusive mammal. Though pangolin hunting is banned under India’s Wildlife Protection Act, enforcement remains difficult. So, conservationists are working with local tribal bodies, that have a greater influence in the state, to push for a local ban and safeguard the species. Earlier this year, the United Sangtam Likhum Pumji (USLP), the apex tribal body of the Sangtam Naga community, passed a resolution for a community-led ban on pangolin hunting in 42 villages of Kiphire district. The Sangtam Naga community is a major ethnic group in Nagaland, primarily inhabiting the Kiphire and Tuensang districts. The move comes amid growing concerns over trafficking of the critically endangered Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) along the Indo-Myanmar border, as well as pangolins hunted for local consumption. &nbsp; The Sangtam Naga community is a major ethnic group in Nagaland, primarily inhabiting Tuensang and Kiphire districts next to the Indo-Myanmar border.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-community-leads-protection-of-the-pangolin-in-a-critical-illegal-trade-corridor/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The fading climate shields</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-fading-climate-shields/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-fading-climate-shields/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 May 2026 13:38:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Amir Bin Rafi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sacred groves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tradition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/05124934/Temple-Chachogi-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38032</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community based conservation, Conservation, Forests, Himalayas, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Rights, Mountains, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In Himachal Pradesh, the influence of traditional beliefs, religion and cultural practices continues to shape the conservation of forest land. Dev Vans, or sacred groves, are forest patches revered as the domain of local deities (devtas). Village customs strictly prohibit tree-felling, leaf collection, and the entry of alcohol or meat within its boundaries. Known as [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In Himachal Pradesh, the influence of traditional beliefs, religion and cultural practices continues to shape the conservation of forest land. Dev Vans, or sacred groves, are forest patches revered as the domain of local deities (devtas). Village customs strictly prohibit tree-felling, leaf collection, and the entry of alcohol or meat within its boundaries. Known as the “Land of Unknown Gods”, Himachal Pradesh spans 55,673 sq km and contains 514 documented sacred groves, often found across valleys and slopes, near settlements, temples and water sources. For generations, in Himachal Pradesh, it was faith, not legislation, that determined which forests would remain untouched. &#8220;Nobody wants to anger the god,&#8221; says Anurita Saxena, Principal at Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Shimla, who has spent decades researching the state&#8217;s cultural practices. &#8220;The customs allow certain forests to remain untouched, hence conserving nature.” The sacred groves continue to remain at the centre of community life, where rituals and festivals reinforce connections between people and nature, particularly in Himachal&#8217;s remote and elevated zones. Ceremonies unfold under their canopies, and community gatherings celebrate their presence tightening the bond between inhabitants and terrain. In numerous villages, sacred forests adjoin temples and fall under the watch of kardars or caretakers, governing access and rules. These belief-based practices have also helped preserve forest patches across generations, outside of formal conservation efforts. Sacred landscapes, not empty forests Cultural researcher Rahul Bhushan, who studies Himalayan communities, says sacred groves reflect an earlier worldview where forests were looked at as living, inhabited spaces rather than unclaimed&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-fading-climate-shields/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-fading-climate-shields/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The flame of the forest is fading; can it return?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-flame-of-the-forest-is-fading-can-it-return/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-flame-of-the-forest-is-fading-can-it-return/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Apr 2026 15:14:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ashwini Kumar Shukla]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Palamu Tiger Reserve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/24111039/IMG_0269-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37862</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jharkhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Plantations, Plants, Trees, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“If the flower of the palash is fully bloomed, that means it will be a good summer, and it will rain well that year,” says Sarita Devi, sitting under a tree in front of her home. “And if it does not bloom on time, the rains will not be good either.” Sarita, 40, is a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“If the flower of the palash is fully bloomed, that means it will be a good summer, and it will rain well that year,” says Sarita Devi, sitting under a tree in front of her home. “And if it does not bloom on time, the rains will not be good either.” Sarita, 40, is a resident of Kundri village in Palamu district, Jharkhand. She belongs to the Dalit community. For generations, people here have predicted the weather through the palash tree. Their livelihoods also depend on it. The palash tree is used to grow lac, a natural resin produced by the insect Kerria lacca (rangeeni), which farmers harvest and sell in the market. On the palash tree, lac is produced twice a year: once in the rainy season (harvested in October–November) and once in the summer (harvested in June–July). For years, Sarita worked at the Kundri lac farm, widely described by officials as Asia&#8217;s largest lac plantation. Every October, she tied lac-bearing twigs to palash branches. Over the next few months, the resin slowly builds up on the branches and is later harvested and processed. “We used to do all the lac work,” she says. “Putting it on the trees, taking it off, peeling it, collecting it. It gave us very good employment.” In a good season, she, her husband Satnarayan Bhuiyan, 45, and their son Deepak Bhuiyan, 18, would earn between ₹50,000 and ₹60,000. Sarita is a resident of Kundri village in Palamu district who once depended on lac&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-flame-of-the-forest-is-fading-can-it-return/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-flame-of-the-forest-is-fading-can-it-return/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Sahariya Adivasis face the risk of double displacement [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/sahariya-adivasis-face-the-risk-of-double-displacement-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/sahariya-adivasis-face-the-risk-of-double-displacement-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Mar 2026 13:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Stuti Singh and Shaurabh Anand]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Displacement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[river]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tribal communities]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/23114203/Image-2-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37398</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Forests, Non-Timber Forest Produce, Rivers, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“Hume yahan kyu patka, agar ye dam banana tha toh?” [in Hindi] (Why were we thrown here if a dam was supposed to be built?) This question from a 68-year-old resident of Paira B, a village in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh, as part of an interview conducted last December, strikes at the core [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“Hume yahan kyu patka, agar ye dam banana tha toh?” [in Hindi] (Why were we thrown here if a dam was supposed to be built?) This question from a 68-year-old resident of Paira B, a village in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh, as part of an interview conducted last December, strikes at the core of India’s displacement crisis. His question about why his village was resettled at the submergence zone of a planned dam, has no clear answer. His village was among 24 villages displaced from the Kuno forest, during 1998-2003, for a lion translocation project that never happened . While the much-celebrated African cheetahs arrived at the site 20 years later, the promises made during the resettlements for lion translocation largely remain unfulfilled. Now, more than two decades later, Chentikheda, an irrigation project across the Kunwari river, threatens to submerge part of the original resettlement site, forcing communities to be displaced twice in 25 years. This issue of double displacement is not an isolated case of poor planning and administrative oversight. It is representative of how the country’s conservation and development apparatuses continue to produce precarity for some of the most vulnerable social groups in our country &#8211; the Sahariya Adivasi (a particularly vulnerable tribal group in this case). The bridge connecting villages on one side of Kunwari river (Chentikheda, Paira B) to the village of Agara. Image by Stuti Singh. Loss after the first displacement The 1998-2003 displacement resulted in a series of hardships for the Sahariya&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/sahariya-adivasis-face-the-risk-of-double-displacement-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Rodents boom when bamboo blooms with no solution in sight</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/rodents-boom-when-bamboo-blooms-with-no-solution-in-sight/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/rodents-boom-when-bamboo-blooms-with-no-solution-in-sight/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Mar 2026 15:46:49 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Barasha Das]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bamboo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[famine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pesticides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rodent]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/19143217/A-farmer-works-in-his-jhum-field-in-Mamte-village-in-Lunglei-district-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37357</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Mizoram]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Himalayas, Indigenous Peoples, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As the sun slips behind the Lushai Hills, groups of farmers in Maulcheng village in Lunglei, Mizoram, set out for their jhum fields carrying bundles of bamboo traps. They meticulously set them before darkness falls, returning a few hours later to find most of them holding a rat. After nearly five decades, the dreaded “Thingtam” [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As the sun slips behind the Lushai Hills, groups of farmers in Maulcheng village in Lunglei, Mizoram, set out for their jhum fields carrying bundles of bamboo traps. They meticulously set them before darkness falls, returning a few hours later to find most of them holding a rat. After nearly five decades, the dreaded “Thingtam” returned to Mizoram late last year. Thingtam is a period marked by an exploding rodent population that raids fields and granaries night after night. A farmer may lay over 30 traps in one hectare in a single evening. Within hours, most will spring shut, and the cycle is repeated twice, sometimes thrice, before dawn. C. Lalhriliana, one of the farmers, says that agriculture is the mainstay for 60 households in the village, which cultivate rice and ginger across about 1.5 sq. km. “The destruction wasn’t limited to surface crops; even root vegetables like yams and ginger were eaten. I lost almost ₹25,000. Now I must buy rice from the market to feed my family of seven, which will severely strain my household budget,” he adds. Jhum fields in Mamte village, Mizoram. Jhum cultivation is the major source of livelihood for families in the state, with nearly 90% of the 130 households in Mamte farming 20,000-30,000 square metre of jhum each. Image by Surajit Sharma. Almost every village across the state had the same nightly ritual which continues even today though the infestation has reduced in parts. Lalrautkima, vice president of the Mamte Village Council, informs&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/rodents-boom-when-bamboo-blooms-with-no-solution-in-sight/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A 700 km-long foot march to save sacred groves from solar projects</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/villagers-set-on-a-700-km-long-foot-march-to-save-sacred-groves-from-solar-projects-in-rajasthan/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/villagers-set-on-a-700-km-long-foot-march-to-save-sacred-groves-from-solar-projects-in-rajasthan/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Mar 2026 11:41:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manu Moudgil]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cattle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Orans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pasture land]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sacred groves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar panel]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/19092221/1.-A-flock-of-sheep-at-Raghwa-village-in-Jaisalmer-district-where-a-2700-MW-solar-park-has-been-earmarked.Image-by-Manu-Moudgil-scaled-e1773892629160-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37346</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Energy, Environment, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Renewable Energy, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It was February 27. A herd of around 20 cows drank from the Biprasar pond, while a flock of sheep grazed nearby. Around 13 camels straddled in. “Every day, thousands of animals, birds, and humans come to quench their thirst here. And this water is two years old because there was not much rain last [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It was February 27. A herd of around 20 cows drank from the Biprasar pond, while a flock of sheep grazed nearby. Around 13 camels straddled in. “Every day, thousands of animals, birds, and humans come to quench their thirst here. And this water is two years old because there was not much rain last year. Even when the seasonal rainfall is low, the vast aagor (catchment) helps us collect it here,” said Lal Singh, spreading his arm to indicate the extent of the land before growing sombre. “There is a proposal to set up a 400 MW solar energy park in the catchment. Where will all these animals go? How will we survive without water?” Growing up in Ramgarh village of Jaisalmer district, Singh has imbibed the language of the desert ecosystem where people thrive on an average annual rainfall of around 100 mm spread over just eight days. This region has some of the lowest intensity of rainfall. For comparison, the average annual rainfall in India is around 1200 mm. People here use traditional wisdom to harvest this little water from ponds, shallow and deep wells, and khadeens, and to rear animals on desert grasses and shrubs in orans (sacred groves) and gochars (pastures). But a growing number of large solar power and mining projects in the region are now taking over these traditional community lands, threatening the traditional way of life and sparking conflicts that have grown into a broader movement in the last five years. Camels&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/villagers-set-on-a-700-km-long-foot-march-to-save-sacred-groves-from-solar-projects-in-rajasthan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Adivasi women protect private forests as land conversions threaten livelihoods and culture [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/adivasi-women-protect-private-forests-as-land-conversions-threaten-livelihoods-and-culture-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/adivasi-women-protect-private-forests-as-land-conversions-threaten-livelihoods-and-culture-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Mar 2026 15:36:52 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nayantara SiruguriYamini Khedkar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicinal plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild foods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women in agriculture]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/05133717/LeafBundle-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37155</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Ecology, Food, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Trees, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Jija Darwada leads us through a dense patch of forest behind Mograj village in Raigad district of Maharashtra. She taps on the fissured bark of a tall tree. “This is the Ain tree (Terminalia elliptica),” she tells us, “We use it to build parts of our houses, or even stables for our cattle. We usually [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Jija Darwada leads us through a dense patch of forest behind Mograj village in Raigad district of Maharashtra. She taps on the fissured bark of a tall tree. “This is the Ain tree (Terminalia elliptica),” she tells us, “We use it to build parts of our houses, or even stables for our cattle. We usually let it grow for 25-30 years.” She points to a plant with long leaves and a thick stem, “This is Pevga (Cheilocostus speciosus). In the midrib of its leaves, it contains its own water. When we are thirsty in the forest, we can break the stem and bite into it.” “Ah, look here,” she continues as we walk through the narrow trail covered with a thick layer of wet leaves, “This is Moha (Madhuca indica).” We gasp at the sight of the magnificent tree. “Every part of this plant is useful. We make oil from its seeds. Its wood can be used to build the floors of our houses, the fruits (moh doda) are delicious — cooked and eaten as a side dish with rice or bhakri (flatbread) — and even its flowers are consumed. And of course, one can also make local liquor with it.” About 20 kilometres away from this forest lies a growing town called Karjat, welcoming thousands of tourists a year. Poised to become a part of the “Third Mumbai” developed by the Maharashtra government (the second being Navi Mumbai), both the real estate prices and the population of Karjat are&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/adivasi-women-protect-private-forests-as-land-conversions-threaten-livelihoods-and-culture-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/adivasi-women-protect-private-forests-as-land-conversions-threaten-livelihoods-and-culture-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Sacred groves anchor traditional healing: study</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/sacred-groves-anchor-traditional-healing-study/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/sacred-groves-anchor-traditional-healing-study/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Mar 2026 12:54:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shradha Triveni]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indigenous knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicinal plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sacred groves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/03090742/Kabi_Lungchok_Sacred_Groves_at_Kabi_village_in_North_Sikkim_India_26-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37106</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Himalayas, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Plants, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The sacred groves of India’s Himalayan region are home to a vast repository of medicinal plants. These culturally safeguarded spaces function as informal conservation areas, preserving medicinally important species while reinforcing community-led stewardship of biodiversity. Yet, despite their importance, both the ecological base and the knowledge systems associated with these groves remain largely undocumented and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The sacred groves of India’s Himalayan region are home to a vast repository of medicinal plants. These culturally safeguarded spaces function as informal conservation areas, preserving medicinally important species while reinforcing community-led stewardship of biodiversity. Yet, despite their importance, both the ecological base and the knowledge systems associated with these groves remain largely undocumented and are increasingly vulnerable to erosion. A recent study by botanists at Sikkim’s SRM University documents 70 medicinal plant species used by Lepcha, Bhutia, Nepali, Limbu and Tibetan communities to treat 35 ailments. Conducted between July 2022 and June 2024, the study recorded the ethnomedicinal practices of Indigenous communities and traditional healers across West Sikkim. Biswajit Bose, the corresponding author of the study and Associate Professor of Botany at the university, says the documentation shows how culturally protected forest patches such as sacred groves, Gumpa forests and monastery Gumpa forests function as community-led conservation units for medicinal plant diversity in West Sikkim district. The village commons that preserve these groves demonstrate how traditional knowledge systems operate as conservation reserves. He adds that the study also offers “a baseline dataset for future pharmacological research”. A recent study in Sikkim documents 70 medicinal plant species used by Lepcha, Bhutia, Nepali, Limbu and Tibetan communities to treat 35 ailments. Image by Reena Chhetri. Locally called manay, this structure rotates with the force of naturally flowing water or wind, and is believed to protect the forests from natural calamities and to keep water and wind clean. Image by Reena Chhetri.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/sacred-groves-anchor-traditional-healing-study/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/sacred-groves-anchor-traditional-healing-study/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Erratic snowfall and shrinking pastures threaten Changpa pastoralism</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/erratic-snowfall-and-shrinking-pastures-threaten-changpa-pastoralism/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/erratic-snowfall-and-shrinking-pastures-threaten-changpa-pastoralism/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Feb 2026 14:22:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Safeena Wani]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erratic weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fodder crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastoralism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/17120640/PICTURE-3-scaled-e1771310750848-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36922</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Rural Futures]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Ladakh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Habitat Loss, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Tsering Namgayal walks with a herd of Pashmina goats across the Debring plains of the Changthang plateau in Ladakh. The land stretches wide under the bright sun, as a cold wind sweeps across this trans-Himalayan high ground. Dust rises in small clouds over the herd as the goats, also known as Changthangi goats, tap the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Tsering Namgayal walks with a herd of Pashmina goats across the Debring plains of the Changthang plateau in Ladakh. The land stretches wide under the bright sun, as a cold wind sweeps across this trans-Himalayan high ground. Dust rises in small clouds over the herd as the goats, also known as Changthangi goats, tap the frozen ground and bleat. The air carries the scent of soil, grass, and pashmina wool. This visibly harsh and cold landscape has sustained the Changpas, the nomadic pastoralists of Changthang, for centuries. Their lives are intertwined with the changing seasons and movement of herds. However, these seasonal patterns are now changing. Namgayal pauses during a grazing halt alongside other herders. Among them is Tobgah Dorjee, who is preparing to leave Changthang, possibly forever. Tobgah plans to sell his 54 Pashmina goats and move to Leh, where he hopes to find work as a construction labourer. Between March and April 2025, Tobgah lost 80 Pashmina goats to extreme weather. Several Changpa families from the nearby Puga Valley were migrating towards Kharnak, a seasonal movement, when unexpected heavy snowfall buried the grazing grass. An extreme cold spell killed newborn goats, shrinking herds within days and turning a routine journey into a struggle for survival. Spread across 35,000 square kilometres, Changthang, that spans Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh in India as well as Tibet, is home to a scattered population of pastoralists who depend primarily on pashmina wool and dairy products obtained from the goats, for their livelihood. Across&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/erratic-snowfall-and-shrinking-pastures-threaten-changpa-pastoralism/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/erratic-snowfall-and-shrinking-pastures-threaten-changpa-pastoralism/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Living with small mammals [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/living-with-small-mammals-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/living-with-small-mammals-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Feb 2026 11:22:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Krishnamurthy K.V.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Forest Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heritage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural resource management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rodent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/17004956/malabar-spiny-dormouse--768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36915</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Food, Hunting, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Mammals, Tribes, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Small rodents including rats have shared spaces with human civilisation for a long time as they live in proximity to people using the food, water and habitat shaped by human societies. References to rodents abound in folklore, stories, and often in negative idioms or phrases in multiple languages. While rats and other small rodents are [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Small rodents including rats have shared spaces with human civilisation for a long time as they live in proximity to people using the food, water and habitat shaped by human societies. References to rodents abound in folklore, stories, and often in negative idioms or phrases in multiple languages. While rats and other small rodents are widely recognised for the damage they cause, in some societies, they also are integral to daily lives. See for instance the worship of Karni Maata in Rajasthan, where rats and other small rodents hold a special significance in temples. In many tribal and rural communities, rats and other small rodents are also viewed as a source of food, with their consumption being welcomed and encouraged, especially since they are not considered endangered yet and they are appreciated for their taste and are an integral part of local diets. Rats and other small rodents are very unique animals in the world of the Iruliga Adivasi people. The Irula or Iruliga are one of the Adivasi communities of Karnataka and are recognised as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) under the Indian Constitution’s affirmative action provisions in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In Karnataka, the Iruligas are included in the state ST list which identifies 50 ST communities. Among these at least 12 communities including the Iruliga self-identify as Adivasi (‘first people’ in many Indian languages). As per the 2011 census reports, 10,259 Iruliga live in Karnataka, majorly living in Ramanagara and urban districts of Bengaluru and constitute a small&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/living-with-small-mammals-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A community-managed goat bank supports farmers for livestock losses</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/a-community-managed-goat-bank-supports-farmers-for-livestock-losses/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/a-community-managed-goat-bank-supports-farmers-for-livestock-losses/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Feb 2026 16:11:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun GuhaShailesh Shrivastava]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[communities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fishing cat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/11111753/Bimal-Mahato-from-Purulia--e1770791008546-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36831</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Big Cats, Cats, Community based conservation, Conservation, Forests, Human Wildlife Conflict, Indigenous Rights, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[During his vacations, Bimal Mahato, a 23-year-old student, takes care of the 15 goats that his family owns. He takes the herd for grazing to a forest near his village Haratan, in West Bengal’s Purulia district. In July 2025, while preparing to return after one such outing, Mahato counted his goats and found one missing. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[During his vacations, Bimal Mahato, a 23-year-old student, takes care of the 15 goats that his family owns. He takes the herd for grazing to a forest near his village Haratan, in West Bengal’s Purulia district. In July 2025, while preparing to return after one such outing, Mahato counted his goats and found one missing. “In this forest adjacent to our village, on the other side of which lies Jharkhand, there are quite a few carnivores. I saw flashes of something dragging my goat away but couldn&#8217;t recognise the animal properly,” Mahato describes. “There isn&#8217;t much wolf presence in this forest, and it would be difficult for a small animal like a jackal to drag a goat so quickly,” he added. Mahato predicted that it could’ve been a bigger animal, like a leopard, which took the goat away. He also noted that a leopard was spotted quite a few times last year, so there may be some correlation. A wetland in Howrah. The region hosts carnivores like fishing cats, wolves, hyenas, jackals and leopards, which often prey on livestock. Image by Samrat Chakraborty. In the same month, Mahato received Purulia&#8217;s first &#8216;replacement goat&#8217; as compensation, provided through a Seed Goat Bank. The project, launched in 2024 in the district&#8217;s Simni area is an initiative of the West Bengal-based environmental NGO, Human and Environment Alliance League (HEAL). The community-operated Seed Goat Bank was started with a WWF India-funded pilot project in Purulia for carnivore conservation through a community-based approach, Vasudha Mishra,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/a-community-managed-goat-bank-supports-farmers-for-livestock-losses/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>What traditional Marathi literature reveals about savannahs</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-traditional-marathi-literature-reveals-about-savannahs/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-traditional-marathi-literature-reveals-about-savannahs/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Feb 2026 14:12:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marathi literature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[native plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[savanna]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[savannahs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/03140621/%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B3_%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B2_%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%B3%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%97_%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B3%E0%A5%87_Small_water_pond_in_grasslandLaling_Dhule-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36724</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Deforestation, Ecology, Endemic species, Forests, Grasslands, Indigenous Peoples, Plantations, Plants, Trees, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It might have been just another coffee session between two researchers catching up on their work, but when Ashish Nerlekar noticed the mention of savannah specialist trees in Digvijay Patil&#8217;s historical references, the duo realised they were onto something new. “Digvijay’s research focuses on people’s perceptions of natural environments, and he was showing me some [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It might have been just another coffee session between two researchers catching up on their work, but when Ashish Nerlekar noticed the mention of savannah specialist trees in Digvijay Patil&#8217;s historical references, the duo realised they were onto something new. “Digvijay’s research focuses on people’s perceptions of natural environments, and he was showing me some of his references from the western Maharashtra region, when I noticed savannah-specialist or indicator trees in them. That led us to systematically study traditional literature to understand the ecological history of savannahs,” says Nerlekar, Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow, Michigan State University, USA. Patil is a PhD student in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department at the Indian Institute of Science Education Research, Pune. Over the next two years, they scoured through narrative poems, religious texts, myths, field notes, biographical and hagiographical accounts in the Marathi language, published between the 13th and 20th centuries C.E. They found several savannah-specific landscape descriptions and mentions of flora and fauna in oral and literary references. These findings refute the popular claim that tropical savannahs are a result of anthropogenic deforestation. The study, published in People and Nature has garnered wide attention and raised significant interest in unearthing the history of India&#8217;s savannahs. &#8220;While previous scientific research establishes the antiquity of Asian savannahs, and researchers have long been telling the general public and policymakers that these ecosystems are ancient, the misconception continues to prevail,” Nerlekar explains. Apart from providing an appropriate window into an ecosystem’s past, traditional literature also enables spreading&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-traditional-marathi-literature-reveals-about-savannahs/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>What India risks by dismantling its rural safety net [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/what-india-risks-by-dismantling-its-rural-safety-net-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/what-india-risks-by-dismantling-its-rural-safety-net-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Jan 2026 09:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MGNREGA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rural economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rural India]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/27134402/AP24173849816545-crop-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36644</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environomy and Rural Futures]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Environment, Environmental Economics, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Human Rights, Indigenous Rights, Politics, Tribes, and Villages]]>
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							<![CDATA[It was the summer of 1988, and the fourth consecutive year of drought in Rajasthan. A few months before the summer, I had joined the communication wing of an NGO called Action for Food Production (AFPRO). I was just out of college, raw, energetic and full of impractical idealism. My boss wanted me to learn, [&#8230;]]]>
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							<![CDATA[It was the summer of 1988, and the fourth consecutive year of drought in Rajasthan. A few months before the summer, I had joined the communication wing of an NGO called Action for Food Production (AFPRO). I was just out of college, raw, energetic and full of impractical idealism. My boss wanted me to learn, and sent me to the Aravallis of Rajasthan. AFPRO was launched in 1966, as a response to the Bihar famine of the year, and with the aim to improve water resources management in villages across the country. In 1987, it established a field unit in Udaipur, Rajasthan, to implement watershed development work and strengthen regreening efforts in the Aravallis. Those were the heady days of global discussions on desertification, which later culminated in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The multi-year drought focused attention on the tree felling that had happened in the Aravallis over years. Many development NGOs working in the region were focusing on the regreening of the hills, along with soil and water management measures to help communities tide over the immediate crisis. Their aim was to prevent such a disaster in future. There was the strong understanding that regreening the Aravallis would help prevent the spread of the Thar Desert into the plains of northern India. After all, Delhi too is located at the edge of the hill range. What I saw in the hills of Udaipur district in May 1988 was bleak — dry riverbeds, barren farms stretching&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/what-india-risks-by-dismantling-its-rural-safety-net-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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