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…
[Interview] Bittu Sahgal: “Young people want to protect the environment, but don’t have their hands on the wheel”
Institutionalised conservation efforts in India started with the enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972 and the launch of the Project Tiger - to conserve the apex predator and…
Saving the Asiatic black bear from illegal wildlife trade needs nuanced conservation
When Terde Yomcha brought Luba home, she was so tiny that she could fit in his hands. Luba is an Asiatic black bear cub—a species threatened by illegal wildlife trade…
Grassland burning, clearing imperils birds of Brahmaputra’s river islands
Concerned with the burning of grasslands and felling of trees, 34-year-old Bhabesh Mahanta is helping build a food forest for birds on a chapori (riverine island) near Guwahati in Assam.…
[Commentary] Conserving orchids through community participation in a Manipur village
It is an interesting fact that all 29,000-odd species of known orchids have been listed in Appendix I or Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species…
Perils of the Phayre’s leaf monkey
Phayre’s leaf monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei), an endangered goggle-eyed primate species once widely distributed across many forests in northeast India, is now confined to small fragmented patches in the states of…
India records increase in leopard population but real number could be much more
A 60 percent rise in India’s leopard population has been recorded in 2018, compared to 2014, but there is one area in the country, the northeastern landscape, where its population…
Odisha, Chhattisgarh try new ways to reduce human-elephant conflict
Badrinath Das lives in Bentapada village in the Athgarh Forest Division in Odisha. His community has in the past witnessed several instances where elephants have come into their paddy fields…
Unique primate habitat in Indonesia under threat from palm oil plantations
The island of Sulawesi in Indonesia that’s home to a unique array of primates found nowhere else on Earth is at the risk of disappearing due to rapid deforestation, a…
Illegal industrial and mining activities continue in great Indian bustard’s habitat in Maharashtra
Illegal stone mining and stone crushing in the eco-sensitive zone of the great Indian bustard (GIB) sanctuary in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra has caused irreparable environmental damage and affected water sources, locals…
[Commentary] Isolated pockets of unique wildlife populations of Gujarat need immediate attention
The state of Gujarat is an ecological marvel that houses extremely rare, endemic wildlife like the lions, hyenas, wolves, wild ass and birds like the great Indian bustard and the…
The slender loris struggles to find canopy in Bengaluru
Flanked by the Outer Ring Road, where unceasing traffic spews noxious fumes, and a concreted canal where heaps of plastics float amid sewage, the Hennur Lake biodiversity park in Bengaluru…
[Commentary] Of ants and antelopes – the ecological history of Chennai was not what one would imagine
According to legend, King Solomon had a brief encounter with a “valley of ants” and his admiration for them led him to value all life forms. The resilience of ants…
Nature in peril as biodiversity losses mount alarmingly, states the Living Planet Report
Global biodiversity is in steep decline, the WWF has warned in its flagship Living Planet Report 2020. The numbers of mammals, birds, fish, plants and insects have fallen an average…
[Book Review] Good information, data and people’s support is needed for conservation
Conservation of nature, natural resources and wildlife is a mission. To accomplish this mission, good information, data and people’s support are needed. Indian media, both print and digital, is playing…
Conserving the Toda buffalo before it is too late
Polker Kuttan, a 72-year-old Toda tribal from the Nilgiris, is like a local weather expert - he can predict the onset or delay of the seasonal rains and even the…
Uttarakhand eyes a part of Rajaji Tiger Reserve for Kumbh
Ignoring one of the most important lessons from the coronavirus pandemic - to let wildlife habitats remain undisturbed - the Uttarakhand government is eyeing to temporarily use at least 778…
Karnataka government okays rail line in the Western Ghats
On March 20, the controversial Hubballi-Ankola railway line project was cleared at the Karnataka State Wildlife Board (KSWB) meeting in Bengaluru amid protests from members. The proposed 164.44 km Hubballi-Ankola…
Demolition of illegal construction in Sukhna lake area put on hold till the pandemic is under control
A survey by Chandigarh’s administration, of houses illegally built in catchment area of lake Sukhna, is temporarily on hold with the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown. The survey was being…
Saving sparrows in cities, one nest at a time
“Today, if you ask a child about house sparrows, he perhaps would know this bird exists, but probably wouldn’t have seen it,” said environmentalist and documentary filmmaker Rakesh Khatri. Growing…
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
- [Commentary] Neglecting household biomedical waste management can lead to adverse environmental effects
- No magic bullets to deal with snakebites
- Six years on, cyclone Ockhi survivors battle lingering mental health impacts
- Gig workers in India are exposed to highly polluted air and carcinogens, finds preliminary study
Almost Famous Species
- Genetic insights of the Kempholey night frog offer better conservation strategies
- Saving India’s only ape, the hoolock gibbon
- [Interview] “Favourable conditions and diet important for ex-situ conservation of wild cats”
- A 100 camera traps to monitor rusty-spotted cats in Keoladeo National Park
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
- [Commentary] Up close and personal with the fragility of the Himalayas
- 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
Beyond Protected Areas
- Grassland loss threatens endemic birds in Arunachal sanctuary
- Genetic insights of the Kempholey night frog offer better conservation strategies
- Loss of forest cover in Kashmir is pitting a protected animal against the world’s costliest spice
- India following a global trend of forsaking environment protection for “national security,” paper says
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- [Commentary] Erratic weather, altered social dynamics disrupt mahua economy in eastern India
- Horseshoe crab decline sparks urgent conservation plea
- Production of rugra, a nutritious mushroom found in Jharkhand, impacted by weather changes
- [Commentary] Soil degradation in India spells doom for millions
Just Transitions
- [Video] Rooftop solar, an emerging solution to Bihar’s land shortage that’s stalling renewable progress
- India needs to face challenge of funding thermal power plant closure, says new report
- With no primary data on impacts, government approves an oil extraction technique 500 m outside forests
- Climate action not on track to meet Paris Agreement goals, says Global Stocktake report
