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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/interviews/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
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					<title>A scientist’s search for dragons and damsels [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-scientists-search-for-dragons-and-damsels-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-scientists-search-for-dragons-and-damsels-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 May 2026 12:49:08 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[damselflies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dragonflies]]></category>
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					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38393</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Citizen science, Conservation, Ecology, Insects, Interviews, People, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“One third of India’s dragonflies likely extinct”, “Scientists sound alarm”, “35% drop in populations”. These were some of the headlines in the media over the last month, following the publication of the first-ever comprehensive study on odonates in the Western Ghats. Odonates are a group of predatory flying insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies. A [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[“One third of India’s dragonflies likely extinct”, “Scientists sound alarm”, “35% drop in populations”. These were some of the headlines in the media over the last month, following the publication of the first-ever comprehensive study on odonates in the Western Ghats. Odonates are a group of predatory flying insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies. A taxon that otherwise rarely gets any press coverage was suddenly speculated to be going extinct. Pankaj Koparde, who leads the Chatur Ullu Lab in Pune, Maharashtra, which — as the name suggests — works on dragonflies (chatur in Marathi) and owls (ullu in Hindi), is the lead author of the paper. He is also an assistant professor at the MIT World Peace University in Pune. Mongabay-India met the researcher, who has extensively worked on this lesser-known taxon over the last decade and a half, to learn more about odonates and their conservation status in the subcontinent. In this interview, edited for clarity and length, Koparde introduces us to the fascinating world of dragonflies and damselflies, the growing citizen-science movement behind these tiny hunters, and what lies ahead for this understudied taxon. Pankaj Koparde leads the Chatur Ullu Lab in Pune and is an assistant professor at the MIT World Peace University. He has extensively studied Odonates, a group of predatory flying insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies, and their conservation status. Image courtesy of Chatur Ullu Lab. The Chatur Ullu Lab team, which studies dragonflies and owls in Pune. Image courtesy of Chatur Ullu Lab.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-scientists-search-for-dragons-and-damsels-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>P.V. Shivaprasad talks about rice, food security and his fascination with plants [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/p-v-shivaprasad-talks-about-rice-food-security-and-his-fascination-with-plants-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/p-v-shivaprasad-talks-about-rice-food-security-and-his-fascination-with-plants-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jan 2026 13:18:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agrobiodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crop diversification]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food systems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paddy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional grains]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/01122600/Image-1_Shivaprasad-Lab-scaled-e1767250722512-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36313</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Food, Interviews, People, Plants, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[To say that rice is an important crop in India would be an understatement. India recently hit a milestone with its rice production. In 2024-25, the country’s rice output was 150 million tonnes, which is 13 million tonnes more than the previous year, marking the largest year-on-year increase in production. In 2025, India consumed about [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[To say that rice is an important crop in India would be an understatement. India recently hit a milestone with its rice production. In 2024-25, the country’s rice output was 150 million tonnes, which is 13 million tonnes more than the previous year, marking the largest year-on-year increase in production. In 2025, India consumed about 140 million tonnes of the grain, becoming the second-highest rice consuming country in the world. Amidst growing concerns of climate impacts and the challenges in cultivating rice, these numbers underscore the importance of protecting rice against all odds — and Padubidri V. Shivaprasad of the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, is on a mission to do just that. Shivaprasad is a recent recipient of the prestigious Tata Transformation Prize 2025 in recognition of his efforts to produce climate-resilient rice varieties using small RNA modification and epigenetic regulation. His research involves tweaking gene expression by altering the proteins that package DNA (histones) or small RNAs (RNA molecules which are about 19-31 nucleotides long and ‘silence’ or regulate gene expression through various mechanisms), thus making changes without modifying the underlying DNA. Through these targeted interventions, the researcher aims to tap into the strengths of wild rice varieties to improve climate resilience and enhance the nutritional properties of cultivated lines. Established in 2022, the Tata Transformation Prize is announced by Tata Sons and the New York Academy of Sciences. The Prize recognises Indian researchers who are devising science-based solutions and innovative technologies to address some of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/p-v-shivaprasad-talks-about-rice-food-security-and-his-fascination-with-plants-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Vivek Menon becomes the first Asian chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/vivek-menon-becomes-the-first-asian-chair-of-the-iucn-species-survival-commission-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/vivek-menon-becomes-the-first-asian-chair-of-the-iucn-species-survival-commission-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Dec 2025 11:08:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[global south]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IUCN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[species loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Threatened species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNEP]]></category>
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					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36116</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Eco Hope]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Endangered species, Environment, Interviews, People, United Nations, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[By the late 1970s, rapid urbanisation and government construction plans for the national capital had put parts of the Delhi Ridge under threat. The northern extension of the Aravalli range, the Delhi Ridge, was the last reserve forest in the city. However, the Delhi Development Authority sought to develop it in the blueprint of Hyde [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[By the late 1970s, rapid urbanisation and government construction plans for the national capital had put parts of the Delhi Ridge under threat. The northern extension of the Aravalli range, the Delhi Ridge, was the last reserve forest in the city. However, the Delhi Development Authority sought to develop it in the blueprint of Hyde Park in London and Central Park in New York. “I remember leading a group of students from Delhi University and picketing the Delhi Development Authority building,” said Vivek Menon, co-founder of the Wildlife Trust of India, who was 20 years old when he, along with activists, students, and conservation groups mobilised to oppose deforestation of the ridge in 1987. Menon founded the NGO Shrishti in the same year, which helped formalise and sustain advocacy for the Delhi Ridge, and contributed to the notification of some sections of the ridge as protected forests. In the years that followed, over a career spanning nearly four decades, Menon earned the reputation of being one of India’s foremost wildlife conservationists. On October 15, 2025, at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., Menon was elected as the new Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission for 2025-2029, becoming the first Asian person to lead the commission in its 75-year history. On October 15, at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., Vivek Menon was elected as the new Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission for 2025-2029, becoming the first Asian person to lead the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/vivek-menon-becomes-the-first-asian-chair-of-the-iucn-species-survival-commission-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Achyut Kumar Banerjee on curating a database of invasive plants in India [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/achyut-kumar-banerjee-on-curating-a-database-of-invasive-plants-in-india-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/achyut-kumar-banerjee-on-curating-a-database-of-invasive-plants-in-india-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Nov 2025 15:07:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/07132509/collage-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35396</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Ecology, Environment, Interviews, People, Plants, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Invasive alien plants are species that do not occur naturally but have been introduced into a region, where they outcompete native species. Today, ‘invasive plants’ is a buzzword in conservation; however, until a few years ago, India lacked a consolidated database of alien flora. Around mid-2019, plant ecologist Achyut Kumar Banerjee began a collaborative venture [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Invasive alien plants are species that do not occur naturally but have been introduced into a region, where they outcompete native species. Today, ‘invasive plants’ is a buzzword in conservation; however, until a few years ago, India lacked a consolidated database of alien flora. Around mid-2019, plant ecologist Achyut Kumar Banerjee began a collaborative venture with fellow invasive biologists in India to set up a comprehensive database for alien flora in the country. After a year of intensive research, the Indian Alien Flora Information Database (ILORA) was born was born in September 2020. In this interview with Mongabay-India, Banerjee sheds light on the science of plant invasion and tells us why it is crucial to have a single forum for invasive plant species in India. Mongabay: Could you tell us about the origins of ILORA? Achyut Banerjee: I had just completed my PhD and had moved out of India. At the time, I was collaborating with a few scientists back home on ornamental plant invasion in the country, when we stumbled upon a familiar hurdle: a lack of data on Indian alien flora. Of course, there was data on what we call “charismatic” invasive species, the popular ones, such as Lantana camara and Parthenium hysterophorus. But for most of the other species, the data were rare. Parthenium hysterophorus, an invasive plant species that grows along roadsides in Bengaluru, Karnataka. When Achyut Kumar Banerjee began setting up a comprehensive database for alien flora in India, he found that there was a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/achyut-kumar-banerjee-on-curating-a-database-of-invasive-plants-in-india-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Sarangapani Neog on documenting butterflies in a sanctuary [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/sarangapani-neog-on-documenting-butterflies-in-a-sanctuary-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/sarangapani-neog-on-documenting-butterflies-in-a-sanctuary-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Sep 2025 11:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Barasha Das]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[butterflies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[butterfly parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gibbon]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/12092514/Scobura-parawoolletti-PC-Sarangapani-Neog-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34595</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Insects, Interviews, and Protected Areas]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“An angelic land!” That’s how naturalist and wildlife photographer Sarangapani Neog describes the almost 21 square kilometre area of Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam, commonly known as Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary (GWLS). In this protected land of the Assam plains alluvial semi-evergreen forest and its patches of wet evergreen woodland, he has recorded 280 butterfly species, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“An angelic land!” That’s how naturalist and wildlife photographer Sarangapani Neog describes the almost 21 square kilometre area of Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam, commonly known as Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary (GWLS). In this protected land of the Assam plains alluvial semi-evergreen forest and its patches of wet evergreen woodland, he has recorded 280 butterfly species, a collection now forming the second edition of his soon-to-be published book, Butterflies of Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary. In this interview with Mongabay India, Neog shares where his fascination with butterflies started, the evolving nature of lepidoptera studies, the ideal time to observe butterflies at GWLS and butterfly tourism. “Gibbon WLS is famously known for housing seven primate species, including the endangered western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock). But little known is its rich butterfly diversity. It is a haven for lepidopterists and butterfly enthusiasts, with easy-to-follow trails. The roadside vegetation and understorey habitats support many uncommon butterfly species,” Neog shared. Notable sightings in the region include the Assam forest bob or brown forest bob (Scobura parawoolletti), Assam lancer (Isma bonota), red vein lancer (Pyroneura niasana), yellow vein lancer (Pyroneura margherita), several oakblue species (Arhopala spp.) such as the sylhet oakblue (Arhopala silhetensis) and falcate oakblue (Mahathala ameria), along with sailers (Neptis spp.), Archdukes (Lexias spp.), and barons (Euthalia spp.), he noted. Cyrestis thyodamas. Sarangapani Neog has recorded 280 butterfly species in the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, and compiled them into a soon-to-be-published book, Butterflies of Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary. Image by Sarangapani Neog. Where it all started&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/sarangapani-neog-on-documenting-butterflies-in-a-sanctuary-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Mewa Singh on chasing monkeys for over half a century [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/mewa-singh-on-chasing-monkeys-for-over-half-a-century-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/mewa-singh-on-chasing-monkeys-for-over-half-a-century-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Aug 2025 13:18:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ethology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[langurs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lion-tailed macaque]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/08/18101006/Gray_langurs_jumping_on_trees_Bhimashankar_wildlife_sanctuary_Pune_India_1_20-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34161</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Eastern Ghats, Interviews, Mammals, Monkeys, Primates, and Western Ghats]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The field of primatology is no monkey business. Primates are complex, social animals with highly adaptable behaviour that changes with habitats. Mewa Singh, a life-long distinguished professor of ecology and animal behaviour at the University of Mysore’s Biopsychology Department has been studying primate behaviour in their natural settings for over half a century, spanning diverse [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[The field of primatology is no monkey business. Primates are complex, social animals with highly adaptable behaviour that changes with habitats. Mewa Singh, a life-long distinguished professor of ecology and animal behaviour at the University of Mysore’s Biopsychology Department has been studying primate behaviour in their natural settings for over half a century, spanning diverse regions including the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats, and the Nicobar Islands. Having authored over 200 research articles and co-authored the book Macaque Societies: A Model for the Study of Social Organisation, his research has a strong focus on species such as the lion-tailed macaque, Nicobar long-tailed macaque, bonnet macaque, langur and slender loris. Singh’s remarkable trajectory — from studying psychology to becoming a globally renowned wildlife biologist — is a testimony in interdisciplinary passion and scholarly dedication. Mongabay: You’re a wildlife biologist and an ethologist. What’s ethology and its relevance in species studies? Mewa Singh (MS): Ethology is the scientific study of animal behaviour in their natural settings. While most research in animal behaviour has happened in laboratories, ethologists work in the field, observing animals where they live. The discipline began with research on insects, and many ethology conferences are still dominated by studies on insects and birds. Mammals are less represented, though my work focuses mainly on them. Mewa Singh is a professor of ecology and animal behaviour at the University of Mysore, and has been studying the behaviour of primates like the Nicobar long-tailed macaque (right) for over 50 years.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/mewa-singh-on-chasing-monkeys-for-over-half-a-century-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>What goes into an editorial illustration? [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/what-goes-into-an-editorial-illustration-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/what-goes-into-an-editorial-illustration-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Jul 2025 13:41:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Saumitra Shinde]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Saumitrashinde]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/07/24123926/1752209176770-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33770</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Interviews]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When illustrator Hitesh Sonar first worked on the story of Devi Prasad, a former security guard in Delhi impacted by heatstroke, it left a lasting impression on him. “I was struck by how little we hear from people like Devi Prasad. After surviving something as terrible and unseen as heatstroke, people quietly resume their lives. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[When illustrator Hitesh Sonar first worked on the story of Devi Prasad, a former security guard in Delhi impacted by heatstroke, it left a lasting impression on him. “I was struck by how little we hear from people like Devi Prasad. After surviving something as terrible and unseen as heatstroke, people quietly resume their lives. Even though it was a single illustration for the story, Devi’s story stayed with me long after.” So, when he was invited to illustrate the follow-up story, Hitesh knew it needed to be more immersive. This time, the focus wasn&#8217;t just on Devi’s recuperation, but on the complex social layers — housing, health, class, and caste — that shape recovery in India’s heat-stricken cities. View the full illustration here. Hitesh drew from references of Devi Prasad’s home, daily environment, and medical condition to reconstruct scenes that felt specific, grounded, and evocative. “On an emotional level, it caused me to consider who gets to heal, who is seen, and who is not. That influenced my perception of heat as an active element in Devi Prasad&#8217;s story, something stifling, eerie, and constantly present rather than merely a background.” In this interview, Hitesh walks us through his creative process, artistic influences, and the emotional depth he brings to environmental storytelling. Mongabay: Can you walk us through your creative process when illustrating for Mongabay India? Hitesh: When illustrating for Mongabay India, I approach each project with an ecologist’s lens, treating it as part of a larger ecosystem. My process&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/what-goes-into-an-editorial-illustration-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Dinesh Holla on trekking the Western Ghats for ecological awareness [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/dinesh-holla-on-trekking-the-western-ghats-for-ecological-awareness-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/dinesh-holla-on-trekking-the-western-ghats-for-ecological-awareness-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Jun 2025 12:44:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shradha Triveni]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indigenous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indigenous Peoples]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Western Ghats]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/12095433/1.-Dinesh-Holla-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33064</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka and Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Interviews, and Western Ghats]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In India, the Western Ghats — one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots — have been subject to unchecked tourism and developmental activities, threatening the ecological richness of its endemic species and the livelihoods of forest-dwelling communities. The Western Ghats encompass the mountain range extending from the southern tip of India to Gujarat. These mountains are [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In India, the Western Ghats — one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots — have been subject to unchecked tourism and developmental activities, threatening the ecological richness of its endemic species and the livelihoods of forest-dwelling communities. The Western Ghats encompass the mountain range extending from the southern tip of India to Gujarat. These mountains are rich in diverse and endemic flora and fauna and are the birthplace to more than 40 perennial rivers, including the Netravati, Sharavati, Sita, Aghanashini, Krishna, Cauvery and others. The Western Ghats — a combination of grasslands and shola forests — form an important watershed for all of Peninsular India. They are also widely popular with tourists. “The idea of hosting tourists in resorts and homestays inside forest zones … is inherently flawed, and it’s made worse when these resorts play loud music, light campfires or even promote poaching. Shockingly, much of this happens with the Forest Department’s knowledge,” says Dinesh Holla, a grassroots activist based in Mangaluru, Karnataka. Holla has been trekking the Western Ghats for more than two decades, where he says he has encountered unregulated poaching activities, neglect of the health and well-being of the wild animals and indifference toward children of tribal communities residing in the forest. Dinesh Holla, a grassroots environmental activist based in Mangaluru, engages with children in the Western Ghats. Image courtesy of Sahyadri Sanchaya. Infrastructure development projects like the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Supply Project and Gundia Hydroelectric Project have worsened the impact of human intervention in this&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/dinesh-holla-on-trekking-the-western-ghats-for-ecological-awareness-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>World Environment Day: a rising wave against ocean waste</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/world-environment-day-a-rising-wave-against-ocean-waste/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/world-environment-day-a-rising-wave-against-ocean-waste/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Jun 2025 09:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Saumitra Shinde]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recycling]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/04180901/PHOTO-2025-04-04-18-47-32-1-768x343.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=32930</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Interviews, Oceans, Pollution, Waste management, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When Divya Hegde founded Baeru (meaning “roots” in Kannada), she set out to root sustainability and waste recovery in everyday life, starting with the coastal communities of Udupi, Karnataka, where she noticed a growing disconnect as the city raced towards development goals. &#8220;There&#8217;s this mad ambition to become a metro city,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They want [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When Divya Hegde founded Baeru (meaning “roots” in Kannada), she set out to root sustainability and waste recovery in everyday life, starting with the coastal communities of Udupi, Karnataka, where she noticed a growing disconnect as the city raced towards development goals. &#8220;There&#8217;s this mad ambition to become a metro city,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They want to be like Bombay (Mumbai) or Bangalore (Bengaluru), with glass buildings and consumption-driven lifestyles. That&#8217;s how modernisation has been defined and marketed to them.&#8221; The result has been a community reeling from a severe lack of a reliable waste management system. Baeru began by addressing the problem at its roots, with door-to-door waste collection done in collaboration with the local government body. The waste collectors employed were largely women from marginalised communities with limited employment options. During waste collection, Baeru firmly ensures households follow a guiding principle: no mixed waste will be accepted by the collectors. &#8220;If someone refuses to segregate, our waste collectors have full authority to leave the garbage behind,&#8221; said Hegde. &#8220;We&#8217;ve found that when you don&#8217;t interfere at the micro level, the women feel empowered to make decisions — and households quickly fall in line.&#8221; Baeru reports having diverted 35,000 metric tons from the land and sea. Baeru has employed women from marginalised communities who conduct door-to-door waste collection. If households do not segregate their waste appropriately, the collectors are instructed to refuse it. Image courtesy of Baeru. Once collected, waste is segregated and logged into an app to enforce tracking&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/world-environment-day-a-rising-wave-against-ocean-waste/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Sandhya Sekar on how Mongabay India took root [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/sandhya-sekar-on-how-mongabay-india-took-root-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/sandhya-sekar-on-how-mongabay-india-took-root-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Jun 2025 15:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rhett Ayers Butler]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/03101719/sandhya_india_250509_101743849-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=32891</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Interviews]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar never intended to lead a newsroom. Trained as an ecologist, with a Ph.D. in the sciences and a later pivot into journalism, she simply followed her curiosity — first as a writer, then as an editor, and eventually, as the founding programme director of Mongabay India. In the process, she helped create one [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar never intended to lead a newsroom. Trained as an ecologist, with a Ph.D. in the sciences and a later pivot into journalism, she simply followed her curiosity — first as a writer, then as an editor, and eventually, as the founding programme director of Mongabay India. In the process, she helped create one of the country’s most credible sources of environmental news: A lean, remote, and highly collaborative operation that has produced thousands of stories across India’s diverse ecological and social landscapes. When Mongabay launched its India bureau in 2018, it was an experiment: Could a global environmental news outlet localise its journalism to a country as complex and varied as India? Sekar, then a former intern and freelance contributor, was selected to help answer that question — not from the sidelines, but from the centre. As the bureau’s co-lead, she assumed responsibility for everything from staffing and fundraising to social media and strategic planning. And with her counterpart, editorial director Gopi Warrier, she’s helped guide the operation through its formative years. Sekar’s path to journalism was shaped by dissatisfaction with academic silos. While completing her Ph.D. in ecology, she discovered that research alone could not satisfy her expansive curiosity about the natural world. Journalism offered a broader lens. Sandhya Sekar in Kerala in 2025. Image by Rhett Ayers Butler. Sandhya Sekar and S. Gopikrishna Warrier in Kerala in 2025. Image by Rhett Ayers Butler. “I didn’t want to work on just one topic,” she recalls. “I wanted&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/sandhya-sekar-on-how-mongabay-india-took-root-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>How Gopi Warrier helped build Mongabay India’s newsroom [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/how-gopi-warrier-helped-build-mongabay-indias-newsroom-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/how-gopi-warrier-helped-build-mongabay-indias-newsroom-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Jun 2025 15:00:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rhett Ayers Butler]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[journalism]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/04000411/india_250509_113352908x-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=32916</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Interviews, and People]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the often fractious landscape of environmental discourse, S. Gopikrishna Warrier is a steadying presence. As the editorial director of Mongabay India, Warrier has spent the past seven years cultivating a newsroom that brings light, not heat, to India’s environmental challenges. His calm authority, born of nearly four decades in journalism and communications, has helped [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[In the often fractious landscape of environmental discourse, S. Gopikrishna Warrier is a steadying presence. As the editorial director of Mongabay India, Warrier has spent the past seven years cultivating a newsroom that brings light, not heat, to India’s environmental challenges. His calm authority, born of nearly four decades in journalism and communications, has helped steer Mongabay’s Indian bureau from an ambitious idea into a trusted voice across the country’s media and policy spheres. When Warrier joined Mongabay in 2017, he and Programme Director Sandhya Sekar began to build a reporting platform that could bring biodiversity into mainstream public conversation, not as an afterthought to economic growth or social development, but as something fundamentally intertwined with both. Under Warrier’s editorial guidance, that aspiration became reality. Mongabay India has since published thousands of deeply reported articles across English and Hindi, reaching readers from Kerala to Kashmir, and from coastal islands to Himalayan villages. Warrier’s career began well before climate journalism became a defined beat. Inspired by pioneers like Darryl D’Monte during his university days, he formally trained in journalism after studying zoology and English literature. He is quick to note that environmental journalism, as a concept, was largely undefined when he started out. His early reporting was shaped by a desire to understand the natural world and its connections to society — a theme that remains central to his work today. Gopi Warrier in Kerala in 2025. Image by Rhett Ayers Butler. His editorial philosophy at Mongabay is shaped by a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/how-gopi-warrier-helped-build-mongabay-indias-newsroom-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>A veteran environmental journalist on 40 years of writing on wildlife: Bittu Sahgal [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/a-veteran-environmental-journalist-on-40-years-of-writing-on-wildlife-bittu-sahgal-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/a-veteran-environmental-journalist-on-40-years-of-writing-on-wildlife-bittu-sahgal-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Mar 2025 17:22:58 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[journalism]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/03/18095419/BS-DSC_0965_C-min-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31837</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Interviews and People]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For World Wildlife Day on March 3, we had a chat with environmental stalwart Bittu Sahgal, who opened up on our social media about his 40-year-long journey writing and editing stories of the natural world. He is Founder-Editor of India’s first wildlife science magazine, Sanctuary Asia, which has been in production since 1981. At 77, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For World Wildlife Day on March 3, we had a chat with environmental stalwart Bittu Sahgal, who opened up on our social media about his 40-year-long journey writing and editing stories of the natural world. He is Founder-Editor of India’s first wildlife science magazine, Sanctuary Asia, which has been in production since 1981. At 77, Bittu is just as fervent about his message as the day he began his career. Having persevered through rapid digital transformations over the decades, Bittu shares approaches and tools that helped shape Sanctuary’s legacy. “We look at ourselves as proponents of climate stability, rather than focusing on any single species. With rationality on one hand and credibility in the other, Sanctuary is really a communications organisation,” he says. Image courtesy of Sanctuary Nature Foundation. The beginnings In the early 1980s, Bittu recalls there were just 16 tiger reserves (compared to 54 today), and little was known about them. Stories in the first few editions of the magazine elaborated the basics – for instance, why was the tiger important for the survival of the forest? What were the animals you found in a tiger reserve? Bittu took a step further to reach more people. “It wasn&#8217;t easy, but you work with the tools you have. We started a news service, where we made available our material free of cost to regional language newspapers. Word got out. They would take what we wrote and translate it for their audience. So we got a lot of physical noticeability,”&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/a-veteran-environmental-journalist-on-40-years-of-writing-on-wildlife-bittu-sahgal-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Interview] Neeraj Mahar on the rarely seen and poorly researched Pallas&#8217;s cat</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/interview-neeraj-mahar-on-the-rarely-seen-and-poorly-researched-pallass-cat/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/interview-neeraj-mahar-on-the-rarely-seen-and-poorly-researched-pallass-cat/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Jul 2024 15:27:49 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pallas' cat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/07/17142132/IMG_3994-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28563</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cats, Conservation, Interviews, Research, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Pallas&#8217;s cat or Manul is one of the species of wild cats found in India. Predominantly existing in the Himalayan region of the country, this species is very shy, and its population is scant. As it is found in high, hilly areas, there is a lack of information and awareness about this species. In such [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Pallas&#8217;s cat or Manul is one of the species of wild cats found in India. Predominantly existing in the Himalayan region of the country, this species is very shy, and its population is scant. As it is found in high, hilly areas, there is a lack of information and awareness about this species. In such a situation, there are many challenges regarding the conservation of this cat. To understand more about these challenges, Mongabay spoke to Neeraj Mahar, a researcher at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. A Pallas&#8217;s cat in Sweden&#8217;s Nordens Ark zoo. In India, the species is found in the Himalayan region. It&#8217;s a shy species and with a small population. Image by Nicolas Fischer via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0). Mongabay: What is the status of the presence of Pallas’s cat in India? Neeraj Mahar: Very thorough research has not yet been done about the status of Pallas’s cat in India. But it is found in the trans-Himalayan states of the country like Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim. The records found so far are from these states only. Since this is a very rarely seen species, not much research has been done on it yet. Because of this, not much is still known about the status of this species in India. If we talk about other countries, a lot of work has been done on this in Mongolia. Efforts have been made to determine their home range, to collar them, and to estimate their population&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/interview-neeraj-mahar-on-the-rarely-seen-and-poorly-researched-pallass-cat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Interview] &#8220;This is in honour of adivasis fighting for their land, water, forest,&#8221; says Goldman Prize winner Alok Shukla</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/interview-this-is-in-honour-of-adivasis-fighting-for-their-land-water-forest-says-goldman-prize-winner-alok-shukla/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/interview-this-is-in-honour-of-adivasis-fighting-for-their-land-water-forest-says-goldman-prize-winner-alok-shukla/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Apr 2024 15:43:49 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Simrinsirur]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alok Shukla]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/04/30125436/Alok-Shukla_Credit-Goldman-Environmental-Prize-23-1024x681-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27606</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions and The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Chhattisgarh and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Ecology, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Interviews, Mining, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Chhattisgarh-based environmental activist Alok Shukla was conferred with the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize on April 29 for championing the cause of Hasdeo Arand – an embattled forest landscape in central India rich with both biodiversity and coal reserves. Headquartered in the United States, the Goldman Environmental Prize seeks to recognise grassroots “environmental heroes” from six [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Chhattisgarh-based environmental activist Alok Shukla was conferred with the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize on April 29 for championing the cause of Hasdeo Arand – an embattled forest landscape in central India rich with both biodiversity and coal reserves. Headquartered in the United States, the Goldman Environmental Prize seeks to recognise grassroots “environmental heroes” from six continental regions of the world every year. Since 1990, the Prize has awarded individuals for their “sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk.” It is especially attentive to leaders who are able to catalyse change through community participation. Shukla, 43, represents Asia in this year’s win. Shukla’s journey as an environmental activist began soon after he graduated from university in 2005, after witnessing the effects of industrial pollution from infrastructure development activities in the cities of Raipur and Raigarh. Inspired by veteran activists Medha Patkar and former bureaucrat Brahm Dev Sharma, he joined movements opposing sponge iron industries in Chhattisgarh in his early days of activism. By 2011, he decided to stay in Hasdeo and fight against the allocation of coal mines in the forest by convening the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA), an umbrella body for citizen movements across the state. The struggle to keep coal underground in Hasdeo has been a decades-long one. Despite recommendations from government research agencies that Hasdeo not be cleared for more mines, coal mining blocks continued to be allocated. Goldman Prize winner Alok Shukla. Photo by Goldman Environmental Prize. By&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/interview-this-is-in-honour-of-adivasis-fighting-for-their-land-water-forest-says-goldman-prize-winner-alok-shukla/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>[Interview] Ecologist and policy expert S. Faizi advocates for putting ‘justice’ at the heart of conservation</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/interview-ecologist-and-policy-expert-s-faizi-advocates-for-putting-justice-at-the-heart-of-conservation/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/interview-ecologist-and-policy-expert-s-faizi-advocates-for-putting-justice-at-the-heart-of-conservation/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Apr 2024 12:06:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Convention on Biological Diversity]]></category>
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					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27065</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Conservation, Ecology, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Interviews]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Eminent Indian ecologist and international environment policy expert S. Faizi is among the six recipients of the Alliance World of Scientists (AWS) 2024 Planet Earth Awards. A staunch supporter of indigenous rights, S. Faizi, who hails from Kerala, India, has made numerous significant contributions to biodiversity conservation and global policy development. He played a prominent [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Eminent Indian ecologist and international environment policy expert S. Faizi is among the six recipients of the Alliance World of Scientists (AWS) 2024 Planet Earth Awards. A staunch supporter of indigenous rights, S. Faizi, who hails from Kerala, India, has made numerous significant contributions to biodiversity conservation and global policy development. He played a prominent role at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) or the Earth Summit in 1992 and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). He has also served as an adviser for G-77 (the United Nations’ intergovernmental organisation for developing nations) and is a founding member of the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) Alliance, encouraging community participation in biodiversity conservation. He has written and drafted several key reports and implementation plans for biodiversity conservation across India and parts of the World. His work spans over three decades. The Alliance of World Scientists consists of 27,000 members from the scientific community across 189 countries. The U.S.-based alliance aims to provide a platform for scientists working towards addressing the climate crisis, while highlighting environmental issues and pertinent solutions. Along with Faizi, the other recipients of the 2024 Awards are James Hansen, Denise Margaret S. Matias, Kimberly Nicholas, Jamie Pittock and Fernando Valladares. In this interview, edited for clarity and length, Faizi talks about the recognition and establishing inclusive conservation measures. Indian ecologist and international environment policy expert S. Faizi is among the six recipients of the Alliance World of Scientists (AWS) 2024 Planet Earth Awards. Photo from S.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/interview-ecologist-and-policy-expert-s-faizi-advocates-for-putting-justice-at-the-heart-of-conservation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>[Interview] Camelia Dewan on how ‘climate change’ is becoming a development buzzword to continue business as usual</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/02/interview-camelia-dewan-on-how-climate-change-is-becoming-a-development-buzzword-to-continue-business-as-usual/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/02/interview-camelia-dewan-on-how-climate-change-is-becoming-a-development-buzzword-to-continue-business-as-usual/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Feb 2024 13:48:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP28]]></category>
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					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=26649</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Bangladesh, Global, India, and South Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Green Business, Greenwashing, Industry, Interviews, and People]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In December last year, as the largest annual climate conference, the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28), was underway, researchers from a prominent global environmental think tank made a provocative argument: The demand for more climate finance from emerging economies to cope with the effects of climate change, would likely be at the cost of developmental [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[In December last year, as the largest annual climate conference, the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28), was underway, researchers from a prominent global environmental think tank made a provocative argument: The demand for more climate finance from emerging economies to cope with the effects of climate change, would likely be at the cost of developmental aid. “The dirty secret of climate finance is that much of it is displacing traditional development aid,” wrote Vijaya Ramachandran, director of energy and development at the environmental research centre Breakthrough Institute, along with her colleague Alex Smith in an article published in Foreign Policy. “Calls for more climate finance are important, but if current practice is any guide, a large share of the funds will be taken from budgets that fund critical development priorities, such as health, education, women’s rights, infrastructure construction, and humanitarian aid,” the article went on to say. Camelia Dewan, an environmental anthropologist and assistant professor at Uppsala University in Sweden, studied what the rising global interest in funding climate action meant in a Global South country like Bangladesh, which shares many similarities with India. In her book Misreading the Bengal Delta: Climate Change, Development and Livelihoods in Coastal Bangladesh, Dewan found that “climate change” was commonly applied by fundraisers as a “masala”, or spice, to their project proposals for a better chance at securing funding – even if the projects themselves had little to do with mitigating climate impacts. In other cases, solutions being pushed to mitigate climate impacts had&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/02/interview-camelia-dewan-on-how-climate-change-is-becoming-a-development-buzzword-to-continue-business-as-usual/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>[Interview] Climate change talks do not take nature into consideration in its economics: Partha Dasgupta</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/climate-change-talks-partha-dasgupta-cop-28-nature-economics-ecosystemservices/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/climate-change-talks-partha-dasgupta-cop-28-nature-economics-ecosystemservices/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Dec 2023 09:45:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP28]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Partha Dasgupta]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/12/05085858/PD-Hero-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25544</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections, Environomy, and Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Ecosystem services, Environmental Economics, Interviews, and Payment for Ecosystem Services]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The international climate change negotiations are built on a wrong economic construct, according to eminent environmental economist Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, Frank Ramsey Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. Speaking at length to Mongabay-India, Sir Partha explained that the economic model being used for climate change negotiations is built [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[The international climate change negotiations are built on a wrong economic construct, according to eminent environmental economist Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, Frank Ramsey Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. Speaking at length to Mongabay-India, Sir Partha explained that the economic model being used for climate change negotiations is built on the conventional GDP-based growth model practised in countries across the globe. It adds the element of climate on top of this model and if enough money is spent to mitigate the emissions, then global economic growth can continue unabated. However, this is a flawed understanding, since it does not take into consideration the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by nature. Sir Partha was invited by the Treasury Department of the UK Government to review nature’s contribution to economics. The Economics of Biodiversity, also known more famously as the Dasgupta Review, which was published in February 2021, has resulted in natural capital accounting being accepted by many countries – the UK, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. The Review also increased the awareness on taking natural capital into consideration in economic considerations. “The idea is to look beyond flow accounts – like the GDP – to stock accounts, looking at natural assets and ecosystem. The accounts will look at how these assets look like today when compared to a year ago, or 10 years ago,” he said. The discipline of environmental and ecological economics has been growing across the world, and especially so&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/climate-change-talks-partha-dasgupta-cop-28-nature-economics-ecosystemservices/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Interview] Former forest officer Rajiv Bhartari on zoning in Corbett Tiger Reserve and its impacts</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/interview-former-forest-officer-rajiv-bhartari-on-zoning-in-corbett-tiger-reserve-and-its-impacts/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/interview-former-forest-officer-rajiv-bhartari-on-zoning-in-corbett-tiger-reserve-and-its-impacts/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Oct 2023 14:31:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shreya Dasgupta]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corridor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protected areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tiger reserve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tigers]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/10/31122630/6.-Tiger-in-Corbett2-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25032</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Interviews, Protected Areas, and Tigers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Fifty years ago, with the launch of Project Tiger, the iconic Corbett National Park became Corbett Tiger Reserve. Today, it’s celebrated as India’s success story, hosting one of the highest tiger densities in the world. And like all tiger reserves in India, it operates on the basis of two spatially distinct units &#8212; the core [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Fifty years ago, with the launch of Project Tiger, the iconic Corbett National Park became Corbett Tiger Reserve. Today, it’s celebrated as India’s success story, hosting one of the highest tiger densities in the world. And like all tiger reserves in India, it operates on the basis of two spatially distinct units &#8212; the core and the buffer. Within these two, one can also find tourism zones and spatially exclusive units meant to control where and when visitors can access the reserve and spot the elusive tiger. Today, zoning is accepted as the norm in tiger reserves. But how did the core, buffer and tourism zones evolve over time? And what impacts did these geographical units have? In 2016, Rajiv Bhartari, now a retired forest officer, set out to find answers to these questions for his PhD at the University of Montana, US. And he chose to study Corbett Tiger Reserve — a park where he’s held several positions of authority. Rajiv Bhartari, a retired forest officer. Photo by Kamal Sharma. In fact, Bhartari’s relationship with Corbett Tiger Reserve has spanned decades. He was the Deputy Director of the reserve from 1993 to 1999. Then the Director from 2005 to 2008. More recently, between 2018 and 2020, he was the Chief Wildlife Warden, then the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of Uttarakhand. Bhartari was also the Conservator of Forests, then the Chief Conservator of Forests for ecotourism in the Uttarakhand Forest Department. Bhartari has had a unique insider’s view of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/interview-former-forest-officer-rajiv-bhartari-on-zoning-in-corbett-tiger-reserve-and-its-impacts/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Book Review] Pioneer ecologist Madhav Gadgil on his life spent in, and for, India&#8217;s biodiversity</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/book-review-pioneer-ecologist-madhav-gadgil-on-his-life-spent-in-and-for-indias-biodiversity/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/book-review-pioneer-ecologist-madhav-gadgil-on-his-life-spent-in-and-for-indias-biodiversity/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Oct 2023 17:51:49 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Usha Rai]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Madhav Gadgil]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/10/29103359/1058px-Madhav_Gadgil_at_Kasaragod_1-e1698555929544-768x509.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25082</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Ecology, and Interviews]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[I have never met Madhav Gadgil but kept hearing and reading about his pioneering work as an ecologist, his campaigns to save the Western Ghats, his enormous contribution to the Biological Diversity Act and the creation of the People’s Biodiversity Register. Naturally, I was all pumped up to read his autobiographical book A Walk Up [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[I have never met Madhav Gadgil but kept hearing and reading about his pioneering work as an ecologist, his campaigns to save the Western Ghats, his enormous contribution to the Biological Diversity Act and the creation of the People’s Biodiversity Register. Naturally, I was all pumped up to read his autobiographical book A Walk Up The Hill: Living with People and Nature published recently &#8211; and loved it! This is not the story of a scientist working in isolation in laboratories but of one who has been walking up and down hills and dales, watching peacocks dance and elephants prance. It is about the importance of sacred groves, a testimony of ecological prudence, of life among fisher folk on India’s west coast, horticulturists on the Western Ghats and tribals of Manipur and Maharashtra. Gadgil puts the human face at the centre of his ecological journey while being a member of a vibrant scientific community. It’s an eminently readable book with each chapter beginning with a verse to herald what follows. It is not a book that can be read in one go. It has to be savoured chapter by chapter to understand exactly what is happening to the beauty and bounty nature endowed in India. The book unfolds an enormous canvas of the various environment and people’s movements, the role of the forest departments and bureaucracy, corruption, the state of our forests and wildlife, the rampant construction activity and destruction of hills and forests leading to the cycle of floods,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/book-review-pioneer-ecologist-madhav-gadgil-on-his-life-spent-in-and-for-indias-biodiversity/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>[Interview] Author Karen Bakker tunes in to the world of non-human sounds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/interview-author-karen-bakker-tunes-in-to-the-world-of-non-human-sound/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/interview-author-karen-bakker-tunes-in-to-the-world-of-non-human-sound/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Nov 2022 14:50:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Nandithachandraprakash]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/11/01112215/elephants-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=20397</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Animals, Birds, and Interviews]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Author Karen Bekker, in her new book about sounds in nature, recounts a story from Brazilian researcher Rafael José de Menezes Bastos. The story determines how differently some humans process and respond to the sounds around them. Bastos has spent time living and travelling with the Kamayurá Indigenous people in Brazil. Once, a Kamayurá friend [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Author Karen Bekker, in her new book about sounds in nature, recounts a story from Brazilian researcher Rafael José de Menezes Bastos. The story determines how differently some humans process and respond to the sounds around them. Bastos has spent time living and travelling with the Kamayurá Indigenous people in Brazil. Once, a Kamayurá friend named Ekwa had asked Bastos if he could “hear the fish singing” as the two glided across the surface of a lake in a canoe. Bastos didn’t know what Ekwa was talking about. Years later, when the anthropologist heard recordings of actual fish songs, he realised Ekwa had been perceiving something more than a whimsical “flight of imagination.” “Bastos’ ears had been closed, but Ekwa’s ears were open,” Bakker writes in The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the World of Animals and Plants, published by Princeton University Press. The book explores what non-human sound can teach us about our changing world — and ourselves. Bastos’s experience led him to appreciate the value of deep listening as practiced by Indigenous cultures like the Kamayurá and, as he put it, to see Ekwa as “more like a diligent ichthyologist than an inspired poet, a victim of hallucination or holy rapture.” Karen Bakker, author of &#8216;The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the World of Animals and Plants&#8217;. Photo by Paul Joseph/UBC Brand and Marketing (left) and from Princeton University Press (right). Later in The Sounds of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/interview-author-karen-bakker-tunes-in-to-the-world-of-non-human-sound/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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