Inside Goa and Karnataka’s conflict on Mhadei river water
On a sweltering Saturday in a scorching May this year, hundreds of people, young and old and from all walks of life, gathered at Goa's Miramar beach, where the river…
Environmentalists revive contentious call to declare a tiger reserve in Goa
Incidents of tiger deaths in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa, in 2020, was a trigger for environmentalists to refresh their long-pending demand for a tiger reserve in the coastal state.…
We didn’t start the fire? Speculations over cause of Goa forest fires continue; state plans recovery
With the onset of summer, Goa’s green cover was enveloped in shades of bright orange and red. Forest fires with high flames and smoke lasted for about 10 to 12…
Understanding the role of local communities in the conservation of critically endangered rhino rays
Rhino rays form a distinct and important group of elasmobranchii, a subclass of cartilaginous fish that comprises rays and sharks. However, there is limited information on rhino rays, and 15…
Panjim riverfront’s urban green lungs under pressure from entertainment tourism
Former councilor of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), Patricia Pinto (66), is on a mission again. An environmentalist and waste management crusader, Pinto has been holding awareness meetings…
Tarballs dot India’s west coast annually, indicating continued oil spills, ship fuel discharge
Right after the monsoon spell, the coastlines of India’s western states, from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa to Karnataka, are lined with dark, sticky balls. These are tarballs, a “seasonal phenomena”…
Government claims every household in Goa has piped water; records, residents disagree
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on August 19, said that “Goa had become the first Har Ghar Jal certified state in the country, where every household is connected to piped…
Farmers continue protests against proposed IIT campus in Goa
Tribal tenant farmers from Goa’s interior Sanguem and Quepem sub districts have been protesting against the proposed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in the state since July 2022. These…
[Commentary] Resolving the conundrum on the precautionary principle
In May 2022, in the case T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad versus Union of India, the Supreme Court passed a landmark order, marking a pivotal development in judicial jurisprudence on the precautionary…
[Commentary] A city on marsh: Why Indian coastal cities need to design and build with nature
Leaving Panaji, Goa's capital city, for the airport, one drives past a large swathe of lifeless bare trees standing in a shallow black water swamp. This was once a verdant…
India’s climate mitigation potential in forests overestimated, finds study
Climate mitigation, by creating additional carbon sinks through forest restoration and agroforestry, would meet less than a quarter of India's Paris Agreement 2015 goals in the land-use, land-use change and…
Mining on the shifty sands of Goan politics
In the run-up to the 2022 state elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Sawant-led state government has made a slew of announcements towards resuming iron ore mining in…
Goa wants to restart mining. What does Goa’s youth want?
When Abhijit Kavalekar was in third grade, he used to walk to school with a group of friends. “My school was about 15 minutes away. We walked in a cloud…
Goa’s pilot seaweed farm explores viability of this climate-smart algae
Most of the sandy beaches and bays of Goa, India’s smallest state, are dominated by tourism and fishing. Yet in the low tide pools along the a 100 km long…
Most famines in south India under British rule due to minor rainfall fluctuations, rather than extreme events
Extreme rainfall deficiencies were not the only causes of famines in semi-arid regions of southern India in the 18th to 20th centuries, according to research that blends paleoclimate reconstruction and…
Coral transplantation helps, but not the only solution
Gliding through the water, a diver searches for small fragments of Turbinaria mesenterina or table coral, found in abundance near the islands of Goa in the Arabian Sea. Another diver brings…
Sustainable strategies needed to manage human-wild boar conflict in Goa, experts say
Over five years ago, farmers groups in Goa proposed that four species – the Indian wild boar (Sus scrofa cristatus), rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), gray langur (Presbytis entellus) and the…
Goa forms mineral development corporation, hopes to revive mining
The Goa government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), recently passed the Goa Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) Bill, 2021 during the legislative assembly’s monsoon session. The bill that enables…
Plant Man Miguel Braganza on how Konkan Fruit Fest preserves food biodiversity
The Konkan Fruit Fest (KFF) is an initiative of Miguel Braganza and his team from Botanical Society of Goa, to preserve endangered food biodiversity by providing fruit growers a forum…
Cyclone Tauktae exposes vulnerabilities along India’s west coast
“There were about 25 boats parked in one place. The tide was so high and the wind so powerful that they crashed into one another and broke. And when I…
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
- Gig workers in India are exposed to highly polluted air and carcinogens, finds preliminary study
- [Explainer] Living with microplastics, is not fantastic
- Residents in Haryana point to stone crushing units for their respiratory troubles and drop in crop yield
- As heatwaves projected to worsen across India, do vulnerability assessments and heat action plans suffice?
Almost Famous Species
- [Commentary] Why are evolutionary scientists studying the crawlies?
- The silent trade of elusive small cats in Mizoram
- Researchers study the elusive dugongs of the Andamans with help from community stakeholders
- New species of parachute gecko recorded in Mizoram
Eco Hope
- Green pilgrimage model balances faith and conservation
- [Video] Restoring the perennial Thamirabarani river with people power
- [Interview] Conservation scientist Joli Rumi Borah on integrating traditional knowledge in research
- [Interview] Scientist Ruth DeFries on deforestation: There isn’t one driver, there’s a different context in different places
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Studies reveal impact of land use on species diversity in rock outcrops
- Improved tiger numbers come with hidden messages on invasives, habitat connectivity
- Gymnosperms that are critical for coniferous forest health may be steadily declining in response to climate change
- Experts call for coexistence, sustainable development as tiger population is close to saturation
Beyond Protected Areas
- Bioinvasions are a global threat to ecosystems, says IPBES report
- Artisanal fishers wary of coastal aquaculture regulation amendments that legalise past violations
- Tiger poaching network, that spread from west to east India, busted
- Venomous snakebites, an occupational hazard for women tea workers
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Excavating farmlands for highways
- Increasing carbon dioxide is making our food less nutritious
- Ecosystem-based adaptation takes nature-based, people-centric approach to agriculture
- [Commentary] How grassroots-led natural farming at the landscape scale can support communities and heal the planet
Just Transitions
- Climate action not on track to meet Paris Agreement goals, says Global Stocktake report
- [Interview] Suravee Nayak on why transformative justice for women, Dalits is key for a just transition
- Promised rehabilitation eludes residents living near one of India’s earliest coal mines
- As e-mobility gains traction, what’s in store for the friendly neighbourhood mechanic?
