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	<channel>
		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/indigenous-rights/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:15:21 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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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>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/isolated-island-tribes-should-choose-their-own-destinies-says-manish-chandi-interview/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<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>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Centre tightens grip over mineral taxation, states cry foul</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/centre-tightens-grip-over-mineral-taxation-states-cry-foul/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/centre-tightens-grip-over-mineral-taxation-states-cry-foul/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Sep 2026 12:49:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vishal Kumar Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minerals]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/11112041/Alok-Putul-Hasdeo-coal-block-4-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40861</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Deforestation, Energy, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Rights, and Mining]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Among the 12 bills passed during the Monsoon Session of Parliament concluded in August, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 (MMDR Amendment Bill) has drawn the most opposition. The bill — which has far-reaching implications for Centre-State relations and the federal structure — was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Among the 12 bills passed during the Monsoon Session of Parliament concluded in August, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 (MMDR Amendment Bill) has drawn the most opposition. The bill — which has far-reaching implications for Centre-State relations and the federal structure — was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 10 and passed by a voice vote within two minutes on August 12. The statement of objects and reasons accompanying the Bill states that centre has assumed control over the regulation of mines and the development of minerals under Section 2 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, “in view of the larger public interest.” These amendments significantly alter the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, shifting authority over mineral-bearing land from states to the Union Government. States can no longer impose any tax, cess or levy on such land, whether based on mineral quantity, prices, royalty or any other basis, other than the terms or restrictions prescribed by the Centre. States had won this right to levy taxes following a 2024 Supreme Court ruling, which also ordered them to recover outstanding dues in 12 installments starting April 1, 2025. However, states will not be required to return the amounts already collected. Opposition parties allege that mining-rich states will suffer a revenue loss following the amendment to the MMDR Act. A bauxite yard in Lohardaga, Jharkhand. Image by Vishal Kumar Jain/Mongabay. The Ministry of Mines maintains that the amendment will&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/centre-tightens-grip-over-mineral-taxation-states-cry-foul/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/centre-tightens-grip-over-mineral-taxation-states-cry-foul/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The tiger reserve with abundant prey but no resident tigers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/the-tiger-reserve-with-abundant-prey-but-no-resident-tigers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/the-tiger-reserve-with-abundant-prey-but-no-resident-tigers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Sep 2026 11:23:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nivedhika Krishnan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/07063530/Tara_in_Tadoba_Tiger_Reserve_AJTJ_P1090339-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40721</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Telangana]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Human Rights, Human Wildlife Conflict, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Mammals, National Parks, Protected Areas, Tigers, Villages, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Deep in northern Telangana, Kawal Tiger Reserve covers a thick forest of teak and bamboo near the Godavari river. Geographically, it sits in an ideal location, connecting major tiger landscapes. It links Tadoba-Andhari in Maharashtra to the west and Indravati in Chhattisgarh to the east. Kawal supports large populations of spotted deer, sambar, nilgai, and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Deep in northern Telangana, Kawal Tiger Reserve covers a thick forest of teak and bamboo near the Godavari river. Geographically, it sits in an ideal location, connecting major tiger landscapes. It links Tadoba-Andhari in Maharashtra to the west and Indravati in Chhattisgarh to the east. Kawal supports large populations of spotted deer, sambar, nilgai, and wild pigs, alongside leopards and wild dogs. On paper, the tiger reserve checks the boxes of sufficient prey and habitat. But the reserve has no resident tigers. A 12-year study conducted between 2010 and 2022 confirmed that no tigers live permanently in Kawal. Using systematically placed line transects to monitor prey numbers, researchers found that spotted deer populations grew over the decade, while sambar, nilgai, and chousingha populations remained stable. Despite this rich prey base, researchers recorded only 15 transient tigers entering Kawal from Maharashtra since 2015. Crucially, only two of these visiting tigers were female. While neighbouring corridors outside the reserve have breeding tigers with cubs, Kawal itself remains empty. According to lead researcher Imran Siddiqui, this absence comes down to a fundamental difference in how male and female tigers disperse, &#8220;Tigers disperse very differently based on sex. Male tigers are bolder risk-takers — they grow faster, leave their mothers earlier, and travel long distances through unfamiliar, human-dominated landscapes to claim territory. Female tigers are conservative — they stay close to their birthplace and require quiet, undisturbed habitat to raise cubs. Crossing busy highways, railways, and mines poses a massive perceived threat to females.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/the-tiger-reserve-with-abundant-prey-but-no-resident-tigers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/the-tiger-reserve-with-abundant-prey-but-no-resident-tigers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>As herders quit, the skills that helped human-tiger coexistence, disappear [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/as-herders-quit-the-skills-that-helped-human-tiger-coexistence-disappear-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/as-herders-quit-the-skills-that-helped-human-tiger-coexistence-disappear-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Aug 2026 13:23:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Varun Sharma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cattle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grazing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[herders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/09231610/6_Thakre-768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39995</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Camera traps, Cats, Ecology, Forests, Human Rights, Human Wildlife Conflict, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Mammals, National Parks, Protected Areas, Tigers, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Open forests, interspersed with farmlands and village commons, connect the tiger reserves of Kanha and Pench in the state of Madhya Pradesh. This is the Kanha-Pench Corridor, spread across about 5,900 square kilometres, roughly three times the size of Kanha National Park. The corridor offers both refuge and mobility to wildlife. It is also densely [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Open forests, interspersed with farmlands and village commons, connect the tiger reserves of Kanha and Pench in the state of Madhya Pradesh. This is the Kanha-Pench Corridor, spread across about 5,900 square kilometres, roughly three times the size of Kanha National Park. The corridor offers both refuge and mobility to wildlife. It is also densely populated, with over 400 villages located across the region. Though tiger numbers have favourably increased to 97 in this corridor, coexistence has become a renewed challenge. According to a news report published last August, more than 14,000 cattle were killed by tigers and leopards across the state in 2024–2025. In such situations, it is easy to overlook the role played by herders. They possess specialised knowledge that helps people coexist with tigers. They serve to locate livestock killed by predators and navigate government compensation systems. Cattle deaths can easily escalate tensions between forest-dwelling cattle holders and the forest department, the main agency dispensing the compensation. Herders don’t just address human-wildlife conflict, they mediate such difficult relations in the best interests of coexistence. One would most likely presume that in such times of peak conflict, the herder should be more indispensable than ever. Instead, herders are quitting their occupation due to economic, ecological, and social pressures. As herding and its associated knowledge disappears, it may undermine forms of coexistence that conservation programmes rarely account for. Cattle signs and compensation To understand what happens to tiger conservation when the practice of herding is disappearing, it is important&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/as-herders-quit-the-skills-that-helped-human-tiger-coexistence-disappear-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Tribal council calls recognition of forest rights on Great Nicobar Island ‘false’</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Jul 2026 17:04:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Forest Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest Right Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest Rights]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/17135552/25717790891_a505e61f54_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39405</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Community based conservation, Conservation, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Industry, and Islands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Members of the Tribal Council of the Little Nicobar and Great Nicobar Islands have written to the Union Tribal Affairs Minister demanding the withdrawal of a certificate which claimed forest rights had been recognised and settled on Great Nicobar Island. The certification, issued in August 2022, enabled clearances for the Great Nicobar Island project to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Members of the Tribal Council of the Little Nicobar and Great Nicobar Islands have written to the Union Tribal Affairs Minister demanding the withdrawal of a certificate which claimed forest rights had been recognised and settled on Great Nicobar Island. The certification, issued in August 2022, enabled clearances for the Great Nicobar Island project to come through later that year. The ₹81,000 crores (₹810 billion) project includes the development of a trans-shipment port, military and civilian airport, solar power plant, and township along the island&#8217;s southern coast. The letter, dated June 30, 2026, was written in response to a statement by the Tribal Affairs Minister, Jual Oran, who said that “development and tribal protection are not mutually exclusive.” Approximately 130 square kilometres of the project-affected area falls on forest land, requiring the removal of close to one million trees. In their letter, the tribal chiefs proposed an alternative set of initiatives to meet their needs, including building basic critical infrastructure like hospitals, telecommunication towers, and footpaths. “Development will be achieved when those who have the power to make decisions and are duty bound to address our grievances don’t keep ignoring us,” says the letter. The letter demands that tribal rights to accessing forest land be legitimately recognised, and that the certification issued by the Andaman and Nicobar Island Deputy Commissioner in August 2022 be withdrawn. The Deputy Commissioner had issued a certificate claiming that forest rights over the project affected-land had been recognised, settled, and approved for diversion under the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Indigenous communities missing in India’s report on access and benefit sharing [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indigenous-communities-missing-in-indias-report-on-access-and-benefit-sharing-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indigenous-communities-missing-in-indias-report-on-access-and-benefit-sharing-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Jul 2026 12:46:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Alphonsa JojanShyama Kuriakose]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[access benefit sharing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Convention on Biological Diversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indigenous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indigenous Peoples]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/06093427/AP25134623115158-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38994</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, and Indigenous Rights]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India as a biodiversity-rich nation has been lauded for its legislative efforts in championing the domestic implementation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) through its Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Additionally, as a party to the CBD, a global agreement on biodiversity protection, India also sought to implement the Nagoya Protocol on access to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[India as a biodiversity-rich nation has been lauded for its legislative efforts in championing the domestic implementation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) through its Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Additionally, as a party to the CBD, a global agreement on biodiversity protection, India also sought to implement the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation (Nagoya Protocol) through the existing Biological Diversity (BD) Act framework and the specific Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Regulations under it. The BD Act and its rules along with the ABS Regulations together aim at regulating access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge, and sharing benefits equitably and fairly from the use of such resources and knowledge. In preparation for the 17th Conference of the Parties to the CBD in 2026, India has submitted its first national report on implementation of Nagoya Protocol on February 27, 2026. This commentary examines the submissions of the Indian government in the report with respect to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). Negation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities The Nagoya Protocol places special obligations on member countries to recognise the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) under the access and benefit-sharing (ABS) mechanism. To elaborate, IPLCs have the right to give prior informed consent (PIC) to the use of their bioresources and their traditional knowledge. This is what is generally known as ‘community PIC’ and it includes the right of the communities to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/indigenous-communities-missing-in-indias-report-on-access-and-benefit-sharing-commentary/" 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>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>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Adivasi medicinal plant collection faces uncertain economics [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/adivasi-medicinal-plant-collection-faces-uncertain-economics-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/adivasi-medicinal-plant-collection-faces-uncertain-economics-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Apr 2026 10:37:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Abhi AugustineSujith M.M.Thippi ThazhasseryVipindas P.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adivasis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indigenous knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicinal plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[native plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/03121726/IMG_0141-scaled-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37556</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Food, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Plants]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Adivasi communities in India depend extensively on wild flora and fauna, particularly for food and medicine. In recent decades, the collection and sale of medicinal plants have emerged as an important lean-season livelihood activity for several Adivasi communities in the Western Ghats. What was once primarily a system of home remedies has gradually shifted towards [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Adivasi communities in India depend extensively on wild flora and fauna, particularly for food and medicine. In recent decades, the collection and sale of medicinal plants have emerged as an important lean-season livelihood activity for several Adivasi communities in the Western Ghats. What was once primarily a system of home remedies has gradually shifted towards market-oriented collection, a transition especially evident among relatively marginalised groups in Wayanad, including the Paniyan, Adiyan, Urali Kuruma, and Kattunayakan communities. Kurunthotti (Sida cordifolia), an annual herb, is among the most prominent medicinal plants collected. It is widely used and in high demand within the Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industry, particularly in Kerala. However, more than 90% of medicinal plant species across the country are reported to be at risk due to excessive and unsustainable harvesting, overexploitation, and unskilled collection practices (Gowthami et al., 2021). In Wayanad, Kurunthotti grows along roadsides, vacant lands, forests, and forest edges, and its collection provides a crucial source of income during the lean agricultural season. The collection period from September to November (the Malayalam months of Kanni and Thulam) follows the completion of major harvests, particularly paddy, around Onam, Kerala’s principal harvest festival. With agricultural wage opportunities declining during this period, communities turn to supplementary activities such as food gathering and medicinal plant collection. Harvested Kurunthotti arranged in stacks in Cheeyampam, Wayanad. Kurunthotti (Sida cordifolia) is a medicinal herb that is in high demand within the Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industry. Its collection provides income for Adivasi communities during the lean agricultural season.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/adivasi-medicinal-plant-collection-faces-uncertain-economics-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Shrinking commons, broken routes strain nomadic pastoralists</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/shrinking-commons-broken-routes-strain-nomadic-pastoralists/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/shrinking-commons-broken-routes-strain-nomadic-pastoralists/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Mar 2026 18:54:58 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aishwarya Mohanty]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[migration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastoralism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastoralists]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/30130755/Raika_3-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37518</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Grasslands, Grazing, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Thar Desert]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch district, Narayan Rabari, 42, walks with his sheep and camels, looking for fields with fodder. He has travelled on foot for over two days, covering 17 kilometres, but his journey is far from over. Since leaving his village in Rajasthan’s Pali district, Narayan has already covered nearly 300 kilometres, moving across [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch district, Narayan Rabari, 42, walks with his sheep and camels, looking for fields with fodder. He has travelled on foot for over two days, covering 17 kilometres, but his journey is far from over. Since leaving his village in Rajasthan’s Pali district, Narayan has already covered nearly 300 kilometres, moving across highways, fenced farms and settlements where open grazing once existed. He belongs to the Raika community, a nomadic agropastoralist community from Rajasthan, which followed seasonal routes across western India. Today, shrinking grazing lands, disappearing migration routes and declining access to commons are pushing the Raika pastoralists to the brink. As younger generations leave herding for waged labour, older Raikas continue to migrate on foot, trying to sustain their traditional agropastoral system, now struggling to survive amid rapid land-use change. Walking father, resting less “When I was young, I remember there was grazing land around, not enough for all the cattle in the village, but still there. But over the years, the grazing open lands were converted into private farmlands; some were diverted for road construction,” Narayan said. “What remained hardly had any grass. It was all deserted,” he added. “There is no grazing land near our home.” He began herding livestock at 10-years-old, joining his father on seasonal migrations. “Earlier, we had more camels, sheep and goats. But over the years, as their food became limited in areas around us and we walked longer distances looking for pasture land, it increasingly became difficult to manage&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/shrinking-commons-broken-routes-strain-nomadic-pastoralists/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>The unaccounted ecological costs of a conflict [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/the-unaccounted-ecological-costs-of-a-conflict-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/the-unaccounted-ecological-costs-of-a-conflict-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Mar 2026 11:50:31 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Gojesh Konsam]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land conflict]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/30110057/AP23201234357358-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37507</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Manipur]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Deforestation, Ecology, Environment, Governance, Himalayas, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Land Rights]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Across Manipur, in folktales such as Kabok ki Nong, Gakripu, and Chhinlung, traditional communities share a common message that the land sustains life and often warns before it breaks. Recognising this relationship between the people and their land helps frame Manipur’s ecological story. The Jewel of India, Manipur, is situated 700-900 kilometres beyond the Siliguri [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Across Manipur, in folktales such as Kabok ki Nong, Gakripu, and Chhinlung, traditional communities share a common message that the land sustains life and often warns before it breaks. Recognising this relationship between the people and their land helps frame Manipur’s ecological story. The Jewel of India, Manipur, is situated 700-900 kilometres beyond the Siliguri Corridor, the &#8216;chicken neck&#8216; that connects the northeastern region of India to the rest. The state hosts ecological marvels that are severely endangered, such as Loktak Lake, along with its floating phumdis and the endangered sangai deer. For generations, communities here shaped their lives around their relationships with nature. However, what now overshadows the state’s landscapes and culture is its consistent political and ethnic turmoil, shaped by decades of distrust, contested land rights, unequal development, and contested claims of belonging and chronic governance challenges. In May 2023, as tensions escalated in the state due to conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, more than 60,000 people were displaced, with thousands of homes destroyed. Even when the close-knit society was still intact, signs of instability were already beginning to surface. The state&#8217;s relationship with its environment and natural resources was weakening, drifting away from the ecological sensibilities of Sanamahism or other structured naturalism practices of the natives in the state through ancient religion, with its focus on harmony with land, forests and water. The forests degraded, springs dried, jhum periods became shorter, and degrading commons had destroyed ecological stability both in the hills and in the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/the-unaccounted-ecological-costs-of-a-conflict-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Betta lands await revival as areca nut cultivation undergoes change</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/betta-lands-await-revival-as-areca-nut-cultivation-undergoes-change/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/betta-lands-await-revival-as-areca-nut-cultivation-undergoes-change/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Mar 2026 13:51:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cashew]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/20105746/23_Collection-of-foliage-from-betta-land_Vadinnakoppa_Sharmila-V-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37381</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Community based conservation, Conservation, Ecology, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It is a hot summer morning when Madhava Chippali makes his way through his areca nut (Areca catechu) plantation in Chippali, a village in the Sagara taluk, Shivamogga district, Karnataka. He walks through a part of his three-acre plot, stepping over empty rivulets that crisscross the landscape. Towards the edge of the plantation, the ground [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It is a hot summer morning when Madhava Chippali makes his way through his areca nut (Areca catechu) plantation in Chippali, a village in the Sagara taluk, Shivamogga district, Karnataka. He walks through a part of his three-acre plot, stepping over empty rivulets that crisscross the landscape. Towards the edge of the plantation, the ground is a hotchpotch of leaves and twigs from tall, spindly areca nut trees, cacao, jackfruit and coconut. Pepper and betel vines, too, make appearances every now and then. At one point, the areca nut trees stop, and an endless verdant forest moving uphill comes into view. “This,” says Madhava, waving his hand to emulate the vastness of the woodland behind him, “is a betta land.” In the annals of forest management, the concept of Soppina betta or betta lands (as they are commonly known) might seem both unique and commonplace. A remnant of colonial laws to regulate forest resources in parts of Uttara Kannada district (later extended to nearby regions like Shivamogga and Chikmagalur), soppina betta (soppu means foliage and betta stands for hills in the Kannada language) refer to forest areas that farmers can access for collecting bioresources like leaves, twigs and mulching material to support their areca nut cultivation. The allocation of betta lands to new farmers ceased post 1930s as a means to protect forest areas. However, farmers like Madhava, who have been engaged in the practice for many generations, can continue to access their assigned lands for resources. Farmers collect fallen&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/betta-lands-await-revival-as-areca-nut-cultivation-undergoes-change/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</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>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/villagers-set-on-a-700-km-long-foot-march-to-save-sacred-groves-from-solar-projects-in-rajasthan/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<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>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Climate stress, market gap weaken traditional bamboo craft [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/climate-stress-market-gap-weaken-traditional-bamboo-craft-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/climate-stress-market-gap-weaken-traditional-bamboo-craft-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Feb 2026 12:28:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kulesh Bhandari]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artisans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bamboo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indigenous knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional crafts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/26110228/Bhandari_JharkhandBamboo_03.-Edited-e1772084373594-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37048</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jharkhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Ecology, Environment, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[At sunrise, the courtyards of Mohuli village, an artisan hamlet in Dumka district of Jharkhand, resonate with the rhythmic rasping of dry bamboo being sliced. Buddhan Mohuli (65) sits cross-legged on a fraying jute sack, his toes gripping a curved blade. With each steady pull of his hand, a bamboo strip thins into fine, uniform [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[At sunrise, the courtyards of Mohuli village, an artisan hamlet in Dumka district of Jharkhand, resonate with the rhythmic rasping of dry bamboo being sliced. Buddhan Mohuli (65) sits cross-legged on a fraying jute sack, his toes gripping a curved blade. With each steady pull of his hand, a bamboo strip thins into fine, uniform threads. The village is known for a traditional bamboo slicing method using feet. “We start around 4 am,” he says, eyes fixed on the strip. “By afternoon, the fingers stop listening.” A full day’s work earns him ₹100–₹200. Similar scenes play out across other villages such as Kathikund, Ramgarh and Thengi More in Jharkhand. Senior artisans Gultan Mohuli and Khoda Mohuli  say that the foot-based slicing technique wastes almost nothing. The bamboo splits clean, yielding fine, flexible slivers that bend without breaking. Artisans learn to control these movements over the years, shaping the rhythm of the craft with their bodies before their hands fully master it. “This kind of work can only be understood with the feet,” Arjun Mohuli, a senior artisan from Thengi More, explains. The artisans make diverse bamboo products: large winnowing trays for sorting grains; flat trays to dry mahua flowers; big baskets to store vegetables; thick-rimmed baskets to carry heavy loads; and curved mats line kitchen shelves. Each object reveals deep traditional knowledge shaped over time. Women sell tokris and soops (bamboo crafts) at a weekly haat in Godda district. Artisans in Mohuli village, Dumka district, Jharkhand, make diverse bamboo products&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/climate-stress-market-gap-weaken-traditional-bamboo-craft-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Erratic snowfall and shrinking pastures threaten Changpa pastoralism</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/erratic-snowfall-and-shrinking-pastures-threaten-changpa-pastoralism/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/erratic-snowfall-and-shrinking-pastures-threaten-changpa-pastoralism/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Feb 2026 14:22:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Safeena Wani]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erratic weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fodder crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastoralism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/17120640/PICTURE-3-scaled-e1771310750848-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36922</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Rural Futures]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Ladakh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Habitat Loss, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Tsering Namgayal walks with a herd of Pashmina goats across the Debring plains of the Changthang plateau in Ladakh. The land stretches wide under the bright sun, as a cold wind sweeps across this trans-Himalayan high ground. Dust rises in small clouds over the herd as the goats, also known as Changthangi goats, tap the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Tsering Namgayal walks with a herd of Pashmina goats across the Debring plains of the Changthang plateau in Ladakh. The land stretches wide under the bright sun, as a cold wind sweeps across this trans-Himalayan high ground. Dust rises in small clouds over the herd as the goats, also known as Changthangi goats, tap the frozen ground and bleat. The air carries the scent of soil, grass, and pashmina wool. This visibly harsh and cold landscape has sustained the Changpas, the nomadic pastoralists of Changthang, for centuries. Their lives are intertwined with the changing seasons and movement of herds. However, these seasonal patterns are now changing. Namgayal pauses during a grazing halt alongside other herders. Among them is Tobgah Dorjee, who is preparing to leave Changthang, possibly forever. Tobgah plans to sell his 54 Pashmina goats and move to Leh, where he hopes to find work as a construction labourer. Between March and April 2025, Tobgah lost 80 Pashmina goats to extreme weather. Several Changpa families from the nearby Puga Valley were migrating towards Kharnak, a seasonal movement, when unexpected heavy snowfall buried the grazing grass. An extreme cold spell killed newborn goats, shrinking herds within days and turning a routine journey into a struggle for survival. Spread across 35,000 square kilometres, Changthang, that spans Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh in India as well as Tibet, is home to a scattered population of pastoralists who depend primarily on pashmina wool and dairy products obtained from the goats, for their livelihood. Across&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/erratic-snowfall-and-shrinking-pastures-threaten-changpa-pastoralism/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</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>]]>
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