With more forest fires and an ongoing pandemic, forest dwellers feel the heat this year
“I have never seen this kind of a forest fire before. This year, the fire entered our village, and I could see that it was just 100 meters away from…
Communities or forest department? Similipal fires rake up debate on ownership of National Park
As Similipal National Park and Tiger Reserve in Odisha burned over the past month, the debate over whether ownership of the park should be in the hands of the forest…
The rolling ashes from Dzukou hills write back
The recent Dzukou valley fire, which was doused after two weeks, has raised an alert for several groups of people – local inhabitants, tourists, stakeholders, environmentalists and more. The 80-90…
[Commentary] Alternate perspectives on forest fires in India
A recent article in Mongabay-India about how to deal with forest fires in India argues that fire suppression should be replaced by fire prevention with the help of local communities.…
Most forest fires in India on account of human activity
The fires raging across Australia from September 2019 and the ones in California in 2018 have brought global attention to wildfires in the recent years. Around 6.3 million hectares of…
Why Punjab failed to douse farm fires
Last month, on December 11, farmers in Punjab held three officials of the state agriculture department hostage at Kabar Bachha village in Ferozepur district. They alleged that an insect, the…
When forests are not forests at all, can fire be used to better manage them?
In the last week of February, Bandipur Tiger Reserve lost over 60 square kilometres of forest to a massive fire, despite the best efforts of hundreds of people who tried…
[Commentary] Fires, leopards, boars and migration: the complex story of a simple people
It was when I first read an article in Down To Earth some years ago that I got interested in the people who lived in the hills of the Western…
[Commentary] Hot and dry: What plants do when pushed to their very limits
About 10 percent of the world’s land surface experienced drought in 2005. The number is set to skyrocket over the twenty-first century to about 40 percent, as the globe warms…
When drought and extreme heat strike forests at the same time
The frequency of extreme weather events is going up around the world, and droughts and heatwaves are no exception. When the globe warms by 3-4 degrees - a possibility during…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
- Managing waste to save the wetlands of Himachal Pradesh
Environment And Health
- Lower species richness in deforested landscapes tied to high Kyasanur forest disease risk: study
- Soils from city parks are important hotspots of microbial diversity: study
- India’s dietary guidelines have a relatively lower carbon footprint: study
- [Commentary] Will the COVID-19 second wave buck the trend for the Indian middle class?
Almost Famous Species
- Misfired shot: Law to protect camel is contributing to its decline in Rajasthan
- [Commentary] Bactrian camels in Nubra Valley provide lessons for conservation of animal genetic resource
- 148 zebra loaches exported per day from Western Ghats to feed global pet trade
- What’s dangerous about these cute turtles which are popular pets in India?
Eco Hope
- Keeping alive a mangrove conservationist’s legacy to protect Kerala coast
- [Interview] The glass ceiling has been shattered, says ZSI’s first woman director
- Kerala’s homegardens are a natural solution for climate change mitigation
- Microbial boost to Himalayan dry toilets can help mainstream organic farming
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Assam to destroy nearly 2500 seized rhino horns in anti-poaching message
- Rethinking tourism could save Udaipur from its pressures
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- Maharashtra’s first endemic tree rediscovered after 180 years at Harishchandragad hill
Beyond Protected Areas
- Excess paddy kept for elephants in Chhattisgarh may not have the intended impact
- Will Odisha notify 14 proposed elephant corridors?
- Hope in sight for the ambassador of Chilika lake, the elusive fishing cat
- Lower species richness in deforested landscapes tied to high Kyasanur forest disease risk: study
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Sweet pineapples and a variety of trees nurture each other in this patchwork plantation
- How climate change is taking a toll on livelihoods of small-scale fishers in Kerala
- Plant Man Miguel Braganza on how Konkan Fruit Fest preserves food biodiversity
- Building up carbon sinks in northeast India’s shifting cultivation landscape
