Neglect shrouds Behali Reserve Forest’s biodiversity along Assam-Arunachal border
One of the key announcements by the newly-formed cabinet, led by Himanta Biswa Sarma, in Assam, was of two new national parks in the state - Raimona in Kokrajhar and…
Environmental activism in the Nilgiris: too early to rejoice?
The past two decades have seen an increase in environmental activism in the Nilgiris, as well as other parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It has evolved from protests, dharnas…
[Interview] “For Sherni we used academic rigour to study the topic of conservation”
About eight percent of the total recorded species of flora and fauna of the world and four of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots are located in India, according to Global…
Harnessing the unrealised potential of agroforestry in curbing climate change in India
Expanding the land area under agroforestry systems, which integrate trees alongside crops, is a promising strategy to offset greenhouse gas emissions and could help achieve India’s Nationally Determined Contributions to…
Are we overlooking the role of grasslands in mitigating climate change?
In 2019, black wattle trees stood tall in around 50 hectares of land in Pazhathottam in Kerala’s Pambadum Shola National Park. Black wattle, in India, is an exotic, invasive tree…
Desert areas of Rajasthan bloom under afforestation efforts
Shyam Sunder Jyani, who hails from the hot and sandy Thar desert region of India, greets you with an unexpected ode to greenery - “हरित प्रणाम”, he says, a Hindi…
As Dharamshala grows, the city eats into the forest
“This is just the tip of the iceberg. The nexus between builders and government officials runs deep," said Ghazala Abdullah, an environment activist based in McLeodganj, near Dharamshala in the…
Environmentalists raise concerns about Kerala’s Silver Line project that passes through ecologically sensitive areas
Kerala’s Silver Line project is a semi-high speed railway line that proposes to connect the north and south of the coastal state. While it is proposed to improve mobility and…
[Commentary] Elephants and humans coexist in Pandanallur
Yet another magical sunset in the entrancingly beautiful hill ranges of Gudalur in Tamil Nadu. But forest range officers (FROs) in the Pandanallur Range here have always been more interested…
Bamboo forest regeneration efforts planned in Chhattisgarh
For the past 14 years, artisan Deepak Dewangan has been weaving magic out of bamboo. Based in Kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh which falls under the Bastar division, Dewangan has been…
India’s expert forest panel calls for sustainable mining
It has been about 70 years since sandstone mining has been going on in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district and there seems to be no respite for the area as the expert…
Shivalik’s Tongia and Van Gujjar communities protect wildlife but their rights are ignored
On a lazy April afternoon, Pallo Devi, 52, sits languidly on a bamboo and jute rope chair outside her home in Haripur Tongia village in Uttarakhand's Haridwar district. Dressed in…
[Commentary] India holds great promise in this Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The World Environment Day on June 5 marks the formal launch of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a decade where efforts to massively scale up the restoration…
Two lakh trees and water security at stake in Buxwaha’s Bunder diamond mining project
The proposed Bunder diamond block in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh has been in the news for the wrong reasons over the years. The diamond mine project, which is…
A new tiger reserve holds hope for revival of Vaigai river in Madurai
River Vaigai, seminal to Tamil literature, culture, and civilization, is now almost a dead river in Madurai, a city where it has been the lifeline since the ancient Sangam era.…
[Commentary] Wildlife in Tillari valley at risk from land-use change
River Tillari originates at an altitude of 750 metres (2461 feet) on the gently west-tilted flatland at the Karnataka-Maharashtra border. It is dammed on the plateau and the water is…
Van Gujjars: People of the forest or nowhere?
In Uttarakhand, there is a strong drive to displace the nomadic pastoral tribe of Van Gujjars in order to protect wildlife. ‘Van’ means forest. It was an identity conceived by…
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…
A forest in a city: Maintaining Chandigarh’s green cover in the face of urbanisation
With Chandigarh's growing reputation as nature’s paradise, every aspect of this man-made creation, originally spread over 47 blocks of 246 acres each, vindicates the visionary thinking of the early planners.…
The risks of tree plantation in grassland and non-forest areas
A tree-planting frenzy has taken over many countries to counter climate change. In July 2019, Ethiopia announced that they planted more than 350 million trees in one day. A month…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- In a Himachal village, people accuse a waste management plant for contaminating water
- [Commentary] Worsening water quality in Ganga’s lower stretches and what it means for us
- Human disturbance alters parasite communities, increases infectious disease: study
- Lower species richness in deforested landscapes tied to high Kyasanur forest disease risk: study
Almost Famous Species
- Sea snakes along Konkan coast imperilled by bycatch, lack of enforcement of fishery regulations
- Newly declared dugong conservation reserve will help protect marine biodiversity
- [Commentary] Tracing the history, portrait and uses of the panneer rose
- Butterfly records at the forefront of Arunachal’s biodiversity sightings
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Climate mitigation should not come at cost of biodiversity conservation, warns tropical savannah ecologist
- Tracking rivers, the highways of plastic waste
- Snug in Kashmir’s meadows, ox-eye daisy worries scientists
- Assam to destroy nearly 2500 seized rhino horns in anti-poaching message
Beyond Protected Areas
- Sea snakes along Konkan coast imperilled by bycatch, lack of enforcement of fishery regulations
- Return of the tiger at West Bengal’s Buxa tiger reserve
- Artificial nests for barn owls help farmers befriend these natural rodent killers
- Forests of faith face encroachments and invasive species in Punjab
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- [Video Explainer] What is the significance of the Biological Diversity Amendment Bill and why did it face opposition?
- Tackling agrobiodiversity loss in Odisha’s Similipal protected area
- An indigenous community in Meghalaya offers lessons in climate resilience
- Sweet pineapples and a variety of trees nurture each other in this patchwork plantation
Just Transitions
- Fearing repeat of police action during POSCO agitation, Odisha village isolates itself
- Bihar farmers await PM-KUSUM rollout
- Solar power station at Bihar’s ‘first solar village’ is now a makeshift cattle shed
- To boost its slow progress on clean energy, Bihar looks at floating and rooftop solar alternatives
